Are we being watched too much? - Students!

It's always a difficult question: how to find the perfect balance between safety and surveillance.

On the one hand, we all want to be kept safe.

But on the other hand, we don't want our privacy impinged upon.

And it's a very fine line between one and the other.

Being a widespread issue affecting all of us, it certainly divides opinions - check out the for and against articles written recently for an overview.

But how do students feel about the possibility of being monitored?

Despite being generally against the huge numbers of CCTV cameras in the UK, I feel - in a sentiment echoed by many other students - that they are, particularly throughout residence campuses, a necessary measure for keeping us safe.

As places full of valuable student gear (bikes, laptops etc.) and often overrun with intoxicated students, the potential for crime is significant; CCTV is a useful deterrent and can be used as evidence if anything does occur.

Likewise with security guards on campus; in my experience, they did not interfere with the activities of students at all, they simply provided some reassurance - especially to first year student s- that a back-up was there, in case of emergencies.

Of course, this is only my experience; I would be the first to object if security guards were Nazi-like thugs on a power trip who tried to stop students having a good time, but fortunately I've never heard any such tales.

I would be the first to object if security guards were Nazi-like thugs on a power trip who tried to stop students having a good time

Aimee Steen

Those connecting to the internet via a university portal have, in all likelihood, experienced a scenario where they can't access what they want to.

Usage through an intranet connection is likely to be monitored.

Having never come across a scenario whereby somebody got into trouble by inappropriately using a university's network, it is difficult to see where the objection could be - some students, however, think otherwise.

"Why do they need to know what sites I've been on?" queries Sam, 20.

There is, of course, an easy solution to this problem.

"I'm in my own house now," he continues, "so I can look at what I want - not that it's anything dodgy anyway!"

In the case of university site monitoring, though, it really is a safety thing - it's not as if they're logging information about you for use by private companies.

In conclusion, I think that most universities have got it just about right at the moment - students generally feel safe, without feeling like they're being tracked by the system.