Every day, we are surrounded by hundreds of cameras, watching our every move, in school and out of school. Is this really about promoting security and safety, or is it about control over us as individuals?

Cameras within themselves bring about many major privacy concerns over the fact that essentially anyone can see what you are doing. While these cameras help police catch criminals and allow people who commit bad acts to be held responsible for their actions, they are also surveilling those who are innocent and have not committed any wrongdoing. Therefore, any small mess-up can cause issues.

Cameras, however, are designed to provide safety for those who abide by the guidelines set by the operator of the cameras and allow those who may feel defenseless to get a sense of comfort from the fact that there is something there protecting them. So it begs the question: are cameras truly a safety tool, or are they being used maliciously? Truly, it can be a bit of both.

“I didn’t even know we had cameras in the school, so that for me is a point that I feel more vulnerable with them here as I really don’t know when I’m being watched,” says Savanah Smith, 11. “I think in certain aspects, if we don’t know where they are, it’s an invasion of our privacy to have these cameras.”

Cameras cause fear between people, especially when they don’t know when and how they are being watched. The data that is collected on those cameras is not clear about where it gets sent, and people don’t know how safe they truly are. Many corporations and the government can use those cameras to address any issues they see.

“We installed the cameras in order to monitor what was going on in the stairwells, because we know a lot of activity was happening there. It also helps ensure students are not skipping or getting into fights,” says Assistant Principal Valerie Fuchs.

While cameras may be invading a person’s privacy, they do make schools feel safer according to a large percentage of Plant students. Because of the amount of hazards that occur in schools, cameras can be necessary in order to safely and securely monitor the school and prevent issues that may impact the safety of the students from happening.

For many people, cameras may not even be noticeable. There are many times where students are unbothered by the presence of cameras as they do not give them worrisome thoughts. While cameras may be an invasion of privacy, they do provide a sense of security that allows many to not have to worry about minor issues.

“I don’t really think about them, I didn’t even know we had cameras in the school,” says Anne Werhell, 10. “I don’t really do anything bad in the school, so I don’t really have to think about the cameras, but I guess they make me feel safer.”

In the end, cameras are not simply good or bad, they sit somewhere in the middle. They can protect students and hold people accountable, but they can also raise real concerns about privacy and control. As their presence continues to grow, the real issue is not just whether cameras should exist, but how they are used and how much people understand about when and why they are being watched.