Effects of video surveillance on the human psyche

Video surveillance has become an integral and already familiar part of public life, aimed at safety and control over what is happening. The benefits of video surveillance are confirmed by the results of numerous social experiments and surveys conducted in many countries. However, many people think about the impact of constant video monitoring on the psyche of people. This is what our article is about.

How people change under video surveillance

Technologies of the 21st century have made an all-seeing eye out of video surveillance, which monitors people’s actions around the clock. If a person sees a camera or a warning sign about its presence, they automatically begin to control their behavior.

According to empirical studies of the impact of video surveillance on the human psyche, very interesting results were observed. People became more noble and acted on the basis of universal moral norms. Moreover, such behavior “turned on”, without hesitation, automatically when surveillance cameras were present, sociologists claim.

Results of social experiments

The most curious research concerning the process of video surveillance of people was carried out at the end of the 20th century in France. The experiment was as follows:

Young people were divided into 2 groups. In each one, a man who stole a wallet was on trial. In the room of the first subgroup there was a photograph of a bouquet of flowers, and in the second room – of a strict gaze.

The end result was unexpected: the group with a bouquet set an unreasonably mild punishment for the “guilty” man. And the people “watched” by a reproachful gaze put forward a very strict decision.

At the end of the experiment, the following results were documented:

• people’s behavior changes when they realize that they are constantly and discreetly watched, and changes occur automatically. With this information, you can secure your home and business;
• people become critical of their own and others’ actions. A small camera will prevent most minor violations. For example, entering a private property, theft at the workplace, deviating from labor and service standards, or inappropriate behavior of service personnel in your absence;
• people begin to behave much more decently, realizing that they are being watched by a person with a video surveillance camera. This speaks specifically about changing behavior for the better. A person under supervision begins to behave better, not for the purpose of avoiding punishment, but for the sake of receiving a reward.

Advantage of video surveillance for business and home

Based on the results of the experiments, we can conclude that video surveillance should be installed in facilities where security control is required.

An online cloud surveillance system can help you with this. This is a modern solution, the essence of which is very easy to understand. As the name suggests, video monitoring is carried out in real time, and all recordings are stored on a separate server – the cloud.

To connect you do not need a lot of expensive equipment: you just need to have access to the Internet, a mobile application and a minimum set of equipment. As the latter, an IP camera (for professional control) or an ordinary smartphone (for a home version) will do. If you are interested in the process of making a surveillance camera out of a phone, then read the following articles: “Turning an old smartphone into a surveillance camera” and “4 steps of connecting a CCTV camera to your phone“.

If you need not just a regular camera without notifications, you should find a trusted cloud video surveillance service.

Modern cloud video surveillance service

Modern services are distinguished not only by the quality of filming, but also by intelligent video analytics, which is able to analyze incoming information and recognize violations based on the set settings.

Faceter is a leader in neural networks, facial recognition technologies and artificial intelligence. Thanks to its abilities, the Faceter cloud video surveillance service will be able to control private households with the following functions:

• baby monitor;
• control over pets;
• control over service personnel and temporary employees;
• monitoring family members, such as children, the sick or elderly;
• monitoring the property.

The Faceter service will also be able to surveil a business, opening up unlimited opportunities for its owner:

• counting visitors, their classification according to the settings (gender, age, new, repeated or unique guest);
• face recognition and quick search in the database;
• detailing of working hours;
• control of staff time spent with clients;
• timely notifications about violations of service and labor standards.

The system is suitable for shops, warehouses, restaurants, offices, courtyards, parking lots and construction sites. By installing the Faceter service, the owner will get an assistant that does not need rest or salary.

The application is also inexpensive: payments for the Internet and selected tariff (from $ 2,99 per month).

Conclusion

Video surveillance has a positive effect on people: they begin to control their behavior and act on the basis of morality. This offers tremendous benefits, and therefore control systems are installed everywhere.

If you are thinking about providing security at home or in business, we recommend that you study the product of the international company called Faceter. The application will help you monitor facilities in real time and receive notifications in case of violations. Moreover, the system will interact with you anywhere in the world.