Cheeky theory explains why you look so bad in supermarket self-checkout cameras

Shoppers have pointed out this 'embarrassing' feature - but there could be a reason behind it. 

"Are the self-serve cameras meant to be unflattering or is it just me?"

It was a simple question asked on a Reddit forum that resonated with thousands of Aussies. The question snowballed into a debate, with everyone weighing in with their theories. 

Some people believe that the lighting and angles are strategically harsh to deter shoplifting, while others are convinced supermarkets have other agendas.

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Image: Supplied

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"Am I just genetically cursed?"

Taking to the r/melbourne thread, the user wrote: "Whenever I see myself in the self-serve cameras at Coles and Woolies, I’m always mortified by the person staring back at me.

"I don’t even think I’m an ugly person, but I feel this uncomfortable sense of uncanny valley because I don’t recognise the person on screen.

"Are these cameras unflattering for everyone else or am I just genetically cursed?"

The post was quickly met with hundreds of reactions. 

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One of the top comments assured the author that self-serve cameras are a "truly humbling experience for everyone."

"I honestly hate catching a glimpse of myself in those cameras, I always look exhausted and old," another user agreed. 

"I’m never more bald than I am in a Coles camera," joked one man. 

"This is why I don’t use the self-service now. Film me all you want but don’t show me this horror. I am sure it’s on purpose," a different Aussie revealed. 

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The compelling shop-lifting theory 

Others theorised that supermarkets use a "super wide" fish-eye lens to make you look bad on purpose as a "psychological technique" to stop you from wanting to shop lift.

"It makes it look like a mug shot," someone explained. 

"They’re meant to make you look ugly. They’re saying ‘If you steal, we’re gonna use this photo of you'," someone else added.

One other wrote: "Puts me off from stealing, don’t want that ugly mug posted on crime stoppers for all to see."

And a third agreed, adding to the theory: "It’s a psychological technique: make you look as guilty as possible for when the video is tendered as evidence."

So, is there any truth to this?

Kidspot reached out to Woolworths and ALDI, which have not commented, and Coles, which said it wasn't a debate they were going to weigh in on. 

Originally published as Cheeky theory explains why you look so bad in supermarket self-checkout cameras