Are You Being Watched? | Teen Ink

Are You Being Watched?

June 27, 2013
By Anonymous

Assume that you are being watched. Don't you believe its a little overwhelming knowing that you can't go into public without me monitored and observed at all times? Yeah I thought so, so do I. Our privacy is going to get worse and worse as time goes on. Random people are getting into our accounts and exploring personal information that we have provided accounts to have. Some people that get really good at it are called hackers.

This goes on everywhere and everyday.

Secondly we don't like to think about it, it happens and there's a good chance you’re next. You can protect yourself of this from occurring. We’re being watched by cameras every time we step outside of our houses. They’re located inside and outside of stores, restaurants, and even on stop lights. Some cameras a hidden so well and purposely that it raises eyebrows. Don’t you think that there should be a notice sign telling us that we are being recorded and where the recordings are going? Another big thing people are concerned about is where the recordings go to and whose hands they’re in. One source tells us that their recordings go online for anyone and everyone to see, without our permission.

Then at my school we have several surveillance cameras set up around the campus. Even though there is a sign indicating that we are being recorded when we step on campus there is only one of them and its in a low traffic area so it is very unrecognized. They never ran the idea past us that they were going to put up the cameras in the first place to see if we had other ideas. So far I’ve spotted out seven or eight cameras placed around the campus, some located in the cafeteria and the rest placed strategically in corners so they can not be distinguished with just a glance. Thats only some of them, who says that there are not more hidden in better places?

I guess there are some advantages that come out of these cameras. Maybe there is an on campus shoot out, like the one at Columbine High School in 1999. How would we identify the shooter without video evidence. There might be some use out of the cameras but how often does something like that happen? If that were to happen to my school I would have no problem sacrificing some freedom and be watched to know that we would catch the person who committed the crime. Thats when the cameras come into use.

Another thing that is showing up more and more is vandalism. Graffiti tends to be a big thing nowadays with emerging gangs trying to get recognition. Well thats when the cameras come into play. With the ability to access the recordings and figure out who did this so the authority can punish the punk for his actions. So there are a lot of pros and cons to cameras.

Another thing at my school we’ve had an issue with fights and stealing in the past so we actually put our cameras in use. Just that thought though, being watched like a hawk everywhere you go and everything to do is being supervised. You’re being watched everywhere except the locker rooms and the bathrooms. How do you like that feeling? Our privacy is going to get worse and worse as time goes on and the more bad people do the more cameras and security goes up. So you decide, are cameras a solution or are they problematic?



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on Jul. 10 2013 at 5:03 pm
Dolly2828 BRONZE, Orlando, Florida
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
You are only limited by your own imagination!

I believe camera can be a good thing to a point. Cameras on your computer  that can be hacked into and you can be spied on... that is problematic. In a public sense it is not techinally considered a "violation" of privacy. Youtubers use public places to record their videos all the time. However, in some cases this can be problematic. I do agree that it is invasions of personal privacy, but the only main reasons camera are put up in public places is to catch crime. I do think cameras are a good idea. But when it comes to the point of "spying" and "hacking" I do have a problem.  Great article anyway though!! :)