Are surveillance doorbells healthy?

George returned to the office all red faced, with a film of perspiration, that shone in the sunlight and in a right old fluster. As his mouth opened, a torrent of expletives fell out. We sat in astonishment, having never seen such a performance. His use of the word, f**k was far reaching and very creative andfrom such a lovely speaking young man. His concern was palpable as was his frustration, and as he unleashed his emotions, he was able to tell us his story.

George had been out to meet a potential buyer at a house to show them around. As they were entering the house, the viewer was being loud and offensive about the area – George reported, he did not hold back and even had spittle at the corners of his mouth. He stood on the threshold, and said he wasn’t going to bother to look inside, as it was a waste of time, he would not want to live there!With various derogatory comments thrown in, which I won’t repeat here, but they were far from pleasant, and made poor George feel very uncomfortable.

Now, one could argue, what the hell, was he doing there in the first place, but, as is often the case, if someone is out of the area, and phones up to view a property, you have to walk a fine line about what you say about the property and how you say it, and ultimately if a potential buyer wants to view something, we should not prevent them from doing so, as there is always a chance they could be the one!

George was beside himself, as this scene was being recorded by the vendor’s surveillance doorbell and it made him feel deeply awkward about what the vendor would say and think. It also made him anxious about what to say in response and how to say it, thinking, what if the vendor does not agree with me; it could cause bad feeling between us and our client. This spiralling thought left George feeling rather paranoid and stressed, which, with this fast becoming a repeated occurrence, is likely to have an impact on his mental wellbeing.

You may find this slightly amusing, but people with good mental health are, ‘better equipped to navigate the complexities of human interaction and resolve conflicts and build meaningful supportive relations, which in turn enhances their social functioning and overall quality of life! A crucial aspect of any service industry, as well as mankind!

In the wake of the rise of surveillance technology, and particularly the good old fashion doorbell, which has been transformed to monitor behaviour and closely observe the space outside our doors, to what extent is this digital monitoring serving us?

Headlines convey consideration about privacy and ethics, and whilst we all know a humourous story about someone being overheard or seen in a somewhat compromising position, fundamentally, is being constantly surveyed healthy?

For estate agents this is a growing concern, as we battle over the ethics of a private act in a private space. Having a conversation with a buyer in a seller’shouse, where does this act sit?

Knowing your home is protected by surveillance undoubtedly contributes significantly to residents’ wellbeing and a ‘greater sense of tranquillity in their everyday lives’. (Malik et al).

But, on the other side of the coin, it has been said, that ‘notifications from doorbell cameras may put people in a constant state of alert’. (Alexander). The constant checking, drip, drip, drip, and so it goes on… creating a heightened sense of anxiety. The notification may simply be a detected motion from a squirrel or a cat and has sent you into a momentary stressful spin.

For an estate agent being in someone’s home, has now become a space, where you are increasingly distracted because the likelihood is you are being watched or recorded. Inevitably this will have an impact on you, and on your workrelationships. If you must excessively filter your conversation, are you going to get the best from a situation?

Surveillance by its very nature has negative connotations, even if it is essentially a security tool. The dictionary definition is: the careful watching of a person or place, especially by the police or army because of a crime that has happened or is expected. (Oxford Dictionary.)

If you are being watched, you can not help but feel, a little uncomfortable. Does or should an agent have the right to privacy in someone’s house? This scenario has a striking sense of conflict about it.

Research suggests, that the ‘impact of security technologies on mental healthtouches on fundamental aspects of human existence, including the right to privacy’. (Malik et al)

So, where does that leave poor George? As society grapples with the challenges forced upon us by an increasingly digitized and surveilled world, and the debates continue about privacy and ethical rights spare a thought for the humble agent, who is trying their upmost to navigate the murky waters of saying and doing the right thing, under constant scrutiny. It is not as easy as you would like to think!

Bibliography

Alexander, Nelson, B. Readers Digest. The Hidden Downsides of Doorbell Cameras—and What to Do About Them. https://www.rd.com/list/downside-of-doorbell-cameras/ 20 September 2024.

Malik, S, A, Acharya, S & Humane, S. National Library of Medicine.Exploring the Impact of Security Technologies on Mental Health: A Comprehensive Review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38455776/ . 5 February 2024.

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