The name is absent

68

On the other hand, he continued, is the former of the two influential groups he
mentioned, the youth, who he argued were more directly engaged with the state and with
what he called “counter philosophy.” Picking up his shiny black mobile phone, Nikos
explained that at the heart of youth involvement in anarchist activities was a broad
disappointment with the “system”, disillusionment, and the paradoxical influence of
technology in their lives. Sensing my interest in this latter point, he explained that while
the youth were being isolated by technology (including television and the internet) from
the values held by their parents, they were simultaneously interconnected amongst
themselves through mobile phones, email, and the internet. Of note, blogging and social
networking sites like Facebook and MySpace have recently become very popular in
Greece (for example, see Tsimitakis 2008). Evidence of this can be seen at the numerous
internet cafés that operate around the city (many being open 24 hours a day).

This double function of technology made the youth generation open to, and more
receptive of, alternative messages. In fact, one key recruitment technique Nikos
employed involves sitting at cafés popular with younger people and sending text
messages to the mobile phones in the immediate vicinity via Bluetooth technology.
These messages would sometimes include photos or videos, but always relay messages of
public action or jokes with sharp anti-establishment sentiment, usually at the expense of
the police. Of note, one’s phone must be set to receive Bluetooth messages, which often
requires input from the user to activate the antenna - a common habit among teenagers
upon arriving at a café. This means, students and other youth arriving at known
communication spots will activate their Bluetooth antennas in order to receive these

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