Last year, I was walking on the street back home in the UK, and I started noticing just how many security cameras there were around me. There were cameras on lampposts, cameras in shops, and cameras at train stations, quietly watching people come and go. Once you start looking for them, you see them everywhere…. on the walls, in buildings, and at entrances.
What’s interesting is that most of the time, we don’t even notice them. We walk in our cities, shop in stores, and commute at stations without really thinking about how much we’re being watched. Surveillance has become such a normal part of life that it fades into the background.
So here’s the question I want you to think about. When you walk in your city, how many cameras do you think are watching you? And do you feel safer because of them? Or do they make you feel a little uncomfortable?
In today’s episode, we’re going to explore what it really means to live in a surveillance society. We’ll look at the benefits, at the risks, and at the ethical questions surrounding surveillance.
At the same time, I’ll help you practise using prepositions of place, in, on, and at, naturally and in real, meaningful context in this episode of Thinking in English Grammar!
Listen Here!
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTubeInteractive Transcript!
You Can Now Read and Listen at the Same Time With an Interactive Transcript!
Grammar Lesson (Prepositions of Place: in, on, at)
Prepositions of place show where something is. Just like with time (which I discussed in a previous Thinking in English episode), the choice between “in”, “on”, and “at” depends on how specific the location is and how we imagine the space.
IN (inside a space or area)
Use “in” when something is inside an enclosed space or within clear boundaries.Think of in as “inside boundaries”.
We use in with:
- Rooms and buildings: in a room, in a shop
- Cities, countries, regions: in Paris, in Japan, in Europe
- Enclosed spaces: in a box, in a car
- Large areas: in the countryside, in the world
ON (on a surface or line)
Use “on” when something is touching a surface or located along a line.
We use on with:
- Surfaces: on the table, on the wall
- Floors: on the first floor
- Streets and roads: on Oxford Street
- Public transport (large vehicles): on a bus, on a train, on a plane
AT (a specific point or location)
Use “at” when you are talking about a specific point, not the surrounding space.
We use at with:
- Exact addresses: at 456 King Street
- Specific places: at the station, at the entrance
- Events and activities: at a party, at work, at school
- Meeting points: at the bus stop
Simple rule to remember
- IN → inside an area
- ON → on a surface or line
- AT → a specific point
What is a Surveillance Society?
So what is a surveillance society?
Surveillance is the careful watching, monitoring or tracking of people, behavior or activity, usually for reasons related to security, control, and data collection.
This monitoring can happen in physical [00:05:00] spaces or in digital spaces, such as through apps and websites.
A surveillance society is a society where people are monitored as part of their everyday lives. This monitoring doesn’t just happen in extreme situations or at important moments. It happens in public, quietly and constantly, as people go about their normal routines.
We see this most clearly with cameras. There are cameras in public spaces, cameras on buildings, and cameras at transport hubs like train stations and airports.
When you walk on the street, you may be recorded multiple times without even realizing it. When you wait at a station, cameras are watching everyone passing through that specific location.
Surveillance also happens digitally. Our data is [00:06:00] collected in apps, tracked on websites, and recorded at checkout counters in the supermarket when we pay for things. Even though this kind of monitoring doesn’t always feel as obvious as a camera on the wall, it still plays a major role in public life.
Some countries are often described as “surveillance societies”.
China is probably the most commonly mentioned example of a surveillance society. In China it is common to use cameras in public places, facial recognition technology on streets, and large scale data collection at the national level.
In fact, if you look at the 10 cities with the most CCTV cameras per capita, nine of those cities are in China.
However, the city with the 3rd most CCTV cameras per capita is London[00:07:00] in the UK. The UK is also a surveillance society. The UK is known for having very high numbers of CCTV cameras in cities and on streets, especially at transport stations and in shopping areas.
In a surveillance society, monitoring is not limited to one place or one moment. It exists in public, follows us on the street, and focuses on us at specific locations throughout the day.
Where Do We See Surveillance Today?
Surveillance is no longer something that happens only in government buildings or at high security locations. It exists in everyday spaces and follows us through much of our daily routine.
One of the most common places we see surveillance is in convenience stores and supermarkets. Cameras are usually placed on the ceiling or on [00:08:00] walls. They quietly record customers as they move in the shop.
Most people accept this kind of surveillance because it is linked to safety and theft prevention, but it still means we are being watched in a private business that we visit regularly.
We also see cameras on apartment buildings. They’re often installed on entrances, on stairways, or on the outside walls facing the street. These cameras monitor who comes into the building and who waits at the door.
While this can make residents feel safer at home, it also means daily life is increasingly recorded in these residential spaces.
Surveillance becomes even more obvious at train stations and airports. Cameras are everywhere. On platforms, in waiting areas, and at ticket gates.
In these spaces, [00:09:00] monitoring is expected. I’m sure we all expect to have our video taken as we walk through a train station, and many people feel reassured knowing there is surveillance at these transport hubs, especially at busy times or at night.
Surveillance is not limited to physical cameras. Facial recognition technology now exists in our smartphones. It allows you to unlock your phone just by looking at it.
At the same time, tracking happens on social media platforms. Our behavior is now analyzed in apps and monitored on websites. Even when we are not on the street, our actions are still being recorded in these digital spaces.
This creates an important contrast.
We are used to being watched in public places like airports and train stations. We accept it, that’s [00:10:00] fine. But surveillance is now common in private spaces too. In shops, in apartment buildings, even in our own phones.
Why Do Governments and Companies Use Surveillance?
Governments and companies often argue that surveillance exists for practical and safety reasons.
I think the main justification is always safety, both in public spaces and safety at specific locations where people gather.
One benefit is crime prevention on the street. When cameras are visible on buildings or on lamp posts, they can discourage criminal behavior. Perhaps people are less likely to commit a crime in public when they know they are being watched at that location. Surveillance acts as a warning on the street.
Another common argument is safety at night. Cameras placed at stations, at bus stops and on quiet streets, can make people [00:11:00] feel safer when they are traveling in the dark. Knowing there is surveillance in an area can reduce people’s fear.
Surveillance is also used for monitoring activity in crowded areas. Large crowds at events, in shopping centers, at transport hubs, are very difficult to manage without cameras.
Surveillance allows the police to track people’s movement in real time. It also allows them to respond quickly at problem spots and perhaps prevent dangerous situations in these busy environments.
Another important function is collecting evidence in investigations. Footage recorded on the street or at stations can be reviewed later in police investigations.
For businesses, video evidence in shops can show what happened at the checkout and protect staff at work.
Does Surveillance Make Us Safer?
So [00:12:00] surveillance is often justified in society as a way to increase safety, but does it actually do that?
Many people say they feel safer in places with cameras. Walking on a well-lit street with visible surveillance cameras can feel more reassuring than walking in an area with no cameras at all. The same is true at stations, at car parks, at public spaces, especially at night.
But does surveillance actually reduce crime?
Research on CCTV suggests mixed results. In some settings, such as at car parks or in enclosed spaces, cameras appear to reduce certain crimes, particularly theft.
However, on the street or in open areas, the impact is often much smaller. Crime may simply move to another location without cameras. In [00:13:00] other words, surveillance may just move crime on the map rather than reducing it in society as a whole.
Online surveillance raises similar questions. Tracking behavior in apps or on websites does not necessarily prevent harmful behavior in digital spaces.
Surveillance also affects how people behave. Knowing you are being watched at work or in public can make you more cautious. People may speak differently in the office, act more politely on the street, or avoid certain behavior at monitored locations.
In some cases, this can lead to better behavior, but it also can create pressure and discomfort in everyday life.
Risks of Living in a Surveillance Society
Surveillance also comes with serious risks. The biggest of these is privacy.
One major concern is how personal data is [00:14:00] handled. Information about our behavior is stored in databases, analyzed in systems, and sometimes kept in the cloud for long periods of time. Our online activity is recorded on platforms, tracked in apps, and monitored at different points when we make purchases.
Even if this data is collected for convenience or our security, it can still reveal a lot about who we are.
Another issue is constant tracking. With cameras on streets, location services in our smartphones, and monitoring at multiple different places throughout the day, people can feel as if they are being watched at all times.
Surveillance also raises questions about power and control.
Who controls surveillance in society? Is it governments, maybe the police, or is it the private companies? The [00:15:00] technology firms at the top of these global systems?
And just as importantly, who watches the watchers? Where is the surveillance system for those who own the surveillance systems?
The Future of Surveillance
Looking ahead, I think surveillance is likely to become even more advanced and even more widespread in society.
Technology is developing quickly, and this technology will now expand in public places around the world.
One major development is the rise of AI and AI powered cameras. In fact, these cameras are already appearing on streets and at busy places. Unlike traditional CCTV, AI cameras can identify patterns, recognize faces, and track movements in real time.
This means surveillance is no longer just recording what happens at a [00:16:00] location, but actively analyzing behavior as it happens. This kind of technology is often used in places like casinos where people maybe have been banned or where people maybe are cheating at a card game. And their cameras can now track and monitor and identify patterns.
Suspicious activity can be found on the spot. Crowd movement in busy places can be monitored, and alerts can be quickly sent. While this may improve safety at certain locations, again, it increases the level of control in our lives.
Perhaps the biggest change will be surveillance at scale. With data collected in multiple systems, shared across platforms, and analyzed in powerful databases, it might become possible to track people across different places over long periods of [00:17:00] time.
Perhaps we will know where you have been walking on the street, what you have been buying in shops, and what you have been posting on Instagram. All of this could be connected into one system.
So where do we draw the line? How much surveillance is acceptable? And how much becomes too intrusive in our daily lives?
Final Thought
Let’s bring everything together.
Surveillance is now a normal part of life. It exists in our cities and follows us on our phones. Cameras on the street, tracking in apps and monitoring at airports or train stations are just part of modern society.
Surveillance can offer real benefits. It can improve safety in public spaces, provide protection at night, and help the police arrest [00:18:00] criminals. At the same time, it raises concerns about privacy. When my personal information is stored in a database, shared on platforms. And collected at multiple different points, it becomes harder to know where the observation should stop.
This is why the debate isn’t simple. Surveillance in a busy station may feel reasonable, while surveillance in private spaces may feel may feel invasive. This balance matters in society.
Before we finish, let’s recap today’s grammar.
We use “in” for inside spaces or systems:
- in a shop,
- in a city,
- in a database.
We use “on” for surfaces or lines:
- on the wall,
- on the street,
- on a platform.
And we use “at” for specific points:
- at the [00:19:00] station,
- at work,
- at the entrance.
As you go about your day, listen carefully to how people use in, on and at when they talk about places in English.
Try describing surveillance in your city, on your street, and at your local bus stop using these prepositions naturally.
And as with all the grammar episodes, I’ll leave you with a final question.
Do you feel safer living in a surveillance society? Or do you feel more controlled at every step?
Extended Vocabulary List
Become a Patreon Subscriber to Access the Extended Vocabulary List!
Vocabulary Games and Activities!
Learn and practice vocabulary from this Thinking in English episode.
Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
Do you want to Think in English?
I’m so excited that you found my blog and podcast!! If you don’t want to miss an article or an episode, you can subscribe to my page!
