Nice to CU

I went to Seoul for the Blockchain Week and was pleasantly surprised to learn how safe the city is. I come from South Africa, a nation whose crime rate is 55 times more than South Korea. I was able to walk alone at night, something I would never dare to do back home. But why the difference? Well, surveillance cameras are everywhere, you are always being watched. But this didn’t feel like an Orwellian Big Brother 1984 situation, it felt safe but a little strange. Quantum Theory demonstrates that observation affects reality and that the greater the amount of “watching” the more the observer influences what actually takes place. Can the same be said for society? Apparently so! Some research indicates that people behave better when they think they’re being watched. The one convenience store had no employees and a self check out service, it also included 6 massive screens showing your every move in the store, I felt very obliged to obey despite being alone in the shop. But the convenience store that stuck with me the most was the one that had the sign outside that said: “nice to CU”, by reminding us that we are being seen they were influencing us to be nice, so much for free will!