lets all share our locations with someone

[cannonballz]

specifically while wondering around in a holiday destination on our own, but generally, really at all times. I go birdwatching, or camping, or running, and my son has my location tracked on my phone. My daughter goes on nights out, and I know where she is. My son goes to festivals, and his father can track him. Basically, all of us can be found by at least one relative, if anything unexpected happens.

Surely, most people carry phones, and surely, this function is one of the major benefits?

@cannonballz nope.

I'm an adult, I don't want to be tracked, I'm happy to take any risks associated with that.

The risks, IMO, are much lower than many people seem to believe, and even if something were to happen, whether accident or crime, by the time it became relevant/anyone checked, chances are it would be too late for anything helpful to be done even if I were being tracked.

What I do think tracking is giving us, is massively increased anxiety in society in general, and infantilisation of people, not just teens at an age where they should be gaining more independence, autonomy & responsibility.

And I think the DV/controlling aspects are surprisingly widespread and should not be underestimated.

What I do think tracking is giving us, is massively increased anxiety in society

I absolutely agree with this - it's so unhealthy to be able to track another person 24-7. Both DH and I go off and work alone and in rural areas and it has never once occurred to either of us to use any kind of tracking device!

I am sorry that happened to you. And maybe it was flippant of me to use the term nothing to hide.
We use it for very basic things like:

1. When to put the pasta/spuds on so it’s ready for all coming home as you can see them on the move
2. If husband is on way home from work and could lift a kid from activity. I can see if he can get there or if I need to go
3. collecting kids from friends houses we don’t know -just follow directions on find a friend when they phone to be collected
4. When we lose the phone somewhere in the house
5. I travel a lot for work and work weird hours. Kids can look where I am if I am in the building I was working in they don’t call, if they see me on the move they call.
6. kids bus from secondary school is very hard to judge so instead of me sitting 25 minutes waiting I don’t leave the house until I to see they are at a certain point and then I arrive to pick them up when they get to our village. (Before anyone come at me it is 2.5 miles from home on a dangerous B road with no pavement that I wouldn’t walk myself)

I don’t use it for fear of someone being kidnapped or tracking where or why someone was somewhere.

I dunno. It all seems very militant! I prefer just going with the flow. Dinner doesn't need to be on the table as soon as everyone walks in the door surely?

If I need to know where DS is I just call or text. No biggie.

Heck no, if I was doing something inherently risky like climbing a mountain or on a boat at sea then I'd take a radio or sat phone or whatever. Not for daily life

Exactly.

It’s what texting is for.