The Four Freedoms for Kids
Tue, 4 Nov 2025
Today's children are growing up as "digital natives," immersed in a world of screens, apps, and connected devices from their earliest years. We teach them to share their toys, to be curious about the world, and to be kind to their neighbors. But are we teaching them the same fundamental ethics for their digital lives? Are we raising them to be empowered users who are in control of their tools?
The Free Software movement, at its core, is driven by ethics. Its principles, encapsulated in the Four Essential Freedoms, provide a powerful framework for teaching children about software freedom and sharing, community, and control. This guide is for parents who want to raise not just digital natives, but free software natives - a generation that understands that their software should serve them, not the other way around.
Here's how you can explain the Four Freedoms to your children using simple, everyday analogies.
Freedom 0: The Freedom to Play However You Want
The Official Definition: The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
The Analogy: A Box of LEGOs
Imagine receiving a large box of LEGO bricks. Freedom 0 is the freedom to build anything you can dream of. You can build a towering castle, a futuristic spaceship, a house for your toys, or even a weird-looking, six-legged dog. Nobody can tell you, "Sorry, these bricks are only for building single-family homes." They are your bricks, and you have the freedom to use them for any project, for any purpose, just for the fun of it.
The Lesson for Kids: Software is a tool, like a set of building blocks. You should be able to use your digital tools for any project you want, whether it's for school, for art, or just for fun. No one should tell you how you're "allowed" to play with your own toys.
Freedom 1: The Freedom to See How It Works and Make It Better
The Official Definition: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The Analogy: The Remote-Control Car
Imagine you have a remote-control car that you can drive around, make it spin in circles, and do all kinds of neat tricks, but you wish it would blink its lights when it stops. Freedom 1 means you can look inside, figure out how it's wired, and change it so it does that.
The Lesson for Kids: You can learn how your toys work and make them your own - not just use them the way someone else decided.
Freedom 2: The Freedom to Share with Your Friends
The Official Definition: The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
The Analogy: Sharing Freshly-Baked Cookies
Imagine you and bake a big batch of delicious cookies using a special family recipe. They smell amazing! Freedom 2 is the freedom to take those cookies to school and share them with all your friends. It would be a strange and unfriendly rule if someone said you were only allowed to eat the cookies yourself and were forbidden from giving one to your best friend. Sharing is about being a good friend and a good neighbor.
The Lesson for Kids: When you have something good and valuable, like a fun game or a helpful program, you should be free to share it with others. Sharing is a fundamental part of being in a community, and no software license should ever force you to be a bad friend.
Freedom 3: The Freedom to Share Your Improvements
The Official Definition: The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.
The Analogy: Sharing Your New and Improved Cookie Recipe
Now, what if you take that special family cookie recipe and add your own secret ingredient, like rainbow sprinkles? They're a huge hit! Freedom 3 is the freedom to share your new, improved "rainbow sprinkle" recipe with all your friends. Now they can make the awesome new cookies too, and one of them will get the idea to add marshmallows, making them even better! The whole community benefits because you were free to share your improvement.
The Lesson for Kids: When you make something better, you should have the freedom to share your improvements with everyone. This is how a community grows and learns together. Free software allows everyone to build upon the work of others, making the software better for all.
How to Raise a Free Software Native
Lead by Example: Use free software in your home. Make your family computer a bastion of freedom with a GNU/Linux distribution like Trisquel. Explore free software programs with them like GIMP for art and Kdenlive for video projects or whatever else they might be interested in.
Foster Curiosity: Encourage your kids to ask questions about their software. "How do you think this game works?" "What would you change about this app?" This shifts their perspective to active, critical thinking.
Advocate at School: Talk to teachers and administrators about the ethical reasons of using free software in the classroom.
Teaching children about the Four Freedoms is teaching them that they have the right to be in control of their computing. By raising a generation of free software natives, we're investing in the future.