Don Bosco's message of 'God sees you' was plastered all around the oratory during his days. Don Bosco purposely made this phrase visible and clear to all his boys constantly. It was his way of reminding them that God is always watching, and therefore to avoid sin and live as per His divine will.
Now this phrase can be interpreted as a 'warning', a sort of preventive measure, adopted to ensure that boys don't commit sin. A sort of fear that God is watching, therefore beware!
Whether Don Bosco meant it to be more than that, or differently interpreted than a 'warning' is something we can always discuss and debate. Today, I believe Don Bosco himself would have changed it to read: God is with you! Pedagogically and psychologically viewed, the latter can be interpreted more positively than the former. The assurance that God is with oneself is an assurance that someone I love is accompanying me always. Rather than God who is a judge, constantly watching me, scrutinizing me. The type of presence, one feels, is perhaps crucial here.
Of course, the crux of the matter is how one views and relates to God: as a loving father/friend or a judge, a dispenser of rewards and punishments.
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