can we control surveillance?

I found it funny how before we began discussing surveillance in class and sharing our thoughts towards it, about a week before I had set up a camera in my room which is my webcam on my computer. I have noticed a lot of things going missing in my room and every time I would ask my family if they have seen it nobody confesses. I got really tired of it so I decided to download an app on my phone called "icam." It is an app where you may download onto any device in which i chose my computer as a main source as a "surveillance camera" and every time it detects motion it will send a notification onto my cell phone and it will also show me what the motion detected. At first i thought it would be great just so that i find out who it is stealing from my room. I didnt think it would actually work but it does. I thought it wouldnt work if my computer screen fell asleep and that my webcam wouldnt record anything. I was wrong. Also another thing ive noticed was that whenever i turn on the recordings on my webcam no light turns on to detect that my webcam is on which i found very ironic. So basically all i have to do is press "start" in order for my webcam to record? that simple? I had a conversation with my mom and showed her how simple it was and also how it concerned me. I told her if its that simple for me to watch my own room on my phone from my webcam with just a simple "start" button and a passcode to both my phone and webcam, wouldnt it be easy for anyone to hack my webcam and watch what i was doing? I mean dont get me wrong, its not as if im doing anything illegal or if im a criminal, but i do believe everyone needs privacy. i did research on it and how it is possible for anyone to hack onto my webcam but i thought to myself why? why would anyone feel the need to spy on me? Also my icam app also is able to detect noise. I tested it out and it turns out, i can hear an entire conversation in my room from just my webcam.. what is this? if i can do it with just a simple app who else is capable of invading my privacy? i have no idea about anybody else but it makes me feel very uncomfortable. What is the purpose of invading anyone elses privacy? And is there really any way we can control it? Do we just turn off our computers or cellphones, wifi, etc? Technology is becoming very controlling and we dont even realize how easy it is to invade others privacy, or private information, etc.