Location sharing- I think I’m worryingly in the minority

[PomPomHead]

I am seriously worried that I’m in the minority here and the world’s gone mad. Why would you share your location All The Time with every member of your family ( even, as in the case of my friends, with your
married 30 year old daughter!)? Why does nobody feel able to be independent and unwatched ? It baffles me and nobody has been able to persuade me of the so-called safety benefits?
Is checking your location now the new showing me you love me?

The use of language like controlling, creepy and stalking is so loaded. I have it so that when my DH is cycling in the middle of the Brecon Beacons, I can find him if I need to (which has happened once, and we were both very glad I could use it to get to him). The alternative would have been the emergency services. I'm sure it can be used by people with controlling intentions, but that's down to the user, not the tech.

Not really. And it's entirely optional. Nobody will notice if you don't post on Facebook, everyone in you "circles" will notice if you switch off. As evidenced by your awareness that DH declined to join one of them... It's hardly the same.

I have it with my DH & 2 teenage children. I don't stalk them & pretty sure they don't stalk me either ( I'm at home 95% of the time anyway!) but it does save unnecessary calls especially to DH who is on the road a lot and I don't like calling him when he's working.
DC - younger one sometimes checking he's where he said he is, knowing where to pick him up from etc older one not much but it was really interesting when he was travelling to zoom in and see where he was in the world .I tend to use it for seeing if they are on their way home for dinner purposes to save 3 phone calls otherwise it's just there. I don't feel controlled or bothered by it and assume as they all have it & not switched off, they feel the same.

There is a big difference between using it to see when to put the tea on and using it to see where spouses are and ringing them to see why they are not at home.

I hate it too. I like having my privacy and find the thought of people 'checking in on me' creepy.

How is it different? You're telling me those checking how far away their DH is so they know when to put tea on wouldn't be ringing if they check and he's somewhere else entirely? Yeah right. It's the exact same thing.

Out of curiosity have you discussed with your DS about sharing his location with other people and the safety risks?

Or about how it's fine if in future a girlfriend/wife doesn't want to share their location with him?

I knew he’d declined because he told me. We share our location with each other but he didn’t want to join the other group. Which is his prerogative and nobody even cared when he declined to invitation.
Using a location app is voluntary just like using Facebook or any other social media.

If you don’t want to use them, then don’t.

How incredibly invasive of you. Sounds like a severing of apron strings needs to happen. Why are you living vicariously through your adult children?

Yes that's what I'm saying,I can't speak for everyone but I certainly wouldn't do that. I trust my husband 100%

Mine just talk/message me 🤷🏻‍♀️

I dont understand why adult people do this. I get it for young kids.

He's 12 so we haven't gone into the girlfriend/partner stuff yet as he's more into footy. But yes we have covered the safety aspect of sharing your location outside of the family.

Partner and I use from time to time, for example if traveling in an unfamiliar place and we split off for an afternoon. Or if one of us is preparing dinner and the other is en route home from office. Wouldn't accept or want it 24/7. No kids but understand it for when people want to give some independence to ages 8-15 or so?

For me and my friends it’s a comfort blanket. We’ve experienced some traumatic events between us and we find it reassuring.

We can track the DCs mobile phones, the car, and DS guitar case, my bike and the DCs bikes, and DS coat.
DCs are 11 and 13 and the 13 yo has epilepsy. So it's things that could get lost or stolen, and DS himself.
Not grown adults.

My DH and I have it…best use is after a long shift at work- I’ve got a still hot cup of tea ready when I get home! He uses it for that!! Hahaha.
But on a more serious note- I always have it on for the kids location (children still, not grown up adult children)

This. I know a family who do this, and track their adult children. I'd hate that! When I've been visiting family or gone to gigs in London I'd text my mum when I got home/back to the hotel, and when my mum visited me last week she texted me when she got home, but that seems normal.

According to this thread that makes you crazy stalkers with no trust in your relationship 😂

Despite dozens of adult people posting to say why they do it, you still don’t understand why they do it?

Perhaps read through the thread again.

Exactly. If you have nothing to hide why should you care.

I’m sorry but I find that question absolutely bizarre. It’s helpful to know when he’ll be home so that I can have meals ready, so the children know when to expect him, so that if he’s collecting us to go somewhere we’ll be ready, so that I can stay up if he won’t be long etc etc etc. Obviously it’s useful.

We don't do it as a family and never have, even when they first got mobile phones. I wanted to encourage good communication and for DDs and DH to have the responsibility to let me know where they are going and what time they will be home if plans change, and same for me with them. And then we do one another the honour of trusting one another to be where we say we are.

I run down country roads at 6am. I’ve got it on so my husband would have a chance of finding me if, for some reason, I don’t make it home. The creepy stalker!

It’s really handy for if you’re meeting up or going over for example so you know when they are. I certainly don’t monitor my mums location continuously and my DP mainly uses mine for when I’ve lost my phone and can locate it, so handy