Last month, a navy van sat on a footpath in Oxford Circus adorned with cameras pointing in each direction.

This was no Google Street View car spinning through the streets, it was the latest trial of the Met Police’s hugely controversial facial recognition kit.

Privacy concerns around its deployment have long been documented but a less-covered aspect is the psychological impact being watched has on us.

Do you behave differently on a CCTV monitor in a shop when you see yourself?

In a fascinating piece on academic publication site The Conversation, senior lecturer in marketing at the City University of London Dr Janina Steinmetz said the widespread feeling of being watched could spark significant societal changes.

“As camera observation becomes more and more prevalent, citizens who are concerned with privacy are assured that most camera recordings are never watched or erased after a short while,” she said.

“Yet, we are only beginning to understand some of the psychological consequences of increased observation.”

Steinmetz said the sensation of being watched could affect someone’s thoughts “long after the camera tape has been erased”.