Being watched, CCTV and other forms of everyday unknown filming
... good or bad?
... positive or negative?
Everywhere we go we are being watched, filmed, photographed; from speed and security cameras to home video and personal photographs. Today's world is all about technology that revolves around being recorded.
On something as simple as a phone, you have: a camera, video recorder, voice recorder and video chat. All of which allow you to record yourself and/or others in one way or another.
There is ongoing debate about whether CCTV is a good or bad thing in society. Some argue that it helps keep the streets safe, where as other say it is an invasion of privacy.
I think that although it is uncomfortable knowing that almost everywhere you go you are being viewed or recorded on camera, they have been put in place for good reasons. I do believe that they help to protect people and additionally help catch those doing wrong, breaking the law ect.
Other points:
Above are bullet point lists of positives and negatives I created to clearly show the good and bad points of having CCTV cameras. There are clearly more positives than negatives as CCTV helps to make society a safer place. With the threat of being caught on camera less people are likely to do something against the law as there is always the chance they can be caught and have video evidence held against them.
Although this is just a clip taken form you-tube, from the film Scary Movie it makes you think, to what extent do people respect CCTV and the ideas revolved around it.
Even today when CCTV is a big part of peoples lives , some don't respect it... Have you never stuck your tongue out at at a camera when you see the sign 'CCTV in process'? People just can't help going against rules or having a laugh when it comes to being on camera.
For example, when seeing a sign in a shop that says 'do no touch', I automatically want to touch it, just for the sake of it, because I can. This is what some people are like when they see other signs for example a 'no smoking' sign or a 'do not park here sign they feel as though they cannot be controlled when they go against these 'rules'. The same happens when are in front of a camera. Although it is clear to everyone that there are CCTV cameras everywhere people still do things like urinate in public places and commit acts of vandalism such as graffiti even though they no that there is a possibility that they are being recorded.
Technology has evolved so much that it is very hard for you to not get caught commuting a crime, especially in highly populated areas.
The more people that live in an area, the more likely there are video cameras, this also goes for places of importance. The more cameras the easier it is to catch people.
People have seen CCTV as a joke, but for some when it comes to filming, the jokes on them.
This was the case for three people when they decided to joyride a BUS!
(Click image for link to the full story)
Okay, yes some may find joyriding a bus fun, and they did beat the system when it comes to being caught on CCTV, but to show your own identity on film and then taking the time to posting an act that breaks the law on YOU-TUBE, viewable by ANYONE is kind of stupid!!
Above are images that I took from google images and clip art, I added captions (think and speech bubbles) in order to show the story clearly as the video was later (unfortunately) removed for you-tube.
Technology in our everyday lives overall has a lot more positives than it does negatives. This is obvious because if the negatives out weighed the positives there wouldn't be 'an estimated 5 million CCTV cameras; that one for every 12 citizens'.
Britain alone has 'more than 20 percent of the world's CCTV cameras' even though Britain is only 0.2 percent of the world's land mass.
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