Everyone has a best friend. But are you really best friends if you’re not sharing your location?
Location sharing is one of the bridges that directly connects the digital and physical world. Position-tracking apps like Life360 or FindMy have become a major obstacle for many teenagers, sabotaging classic teen rituals of ditching plans or sneaking out. But if handled appropriately, it can actually lead to emotional growth and prove handy to daily life.
At first, it seems like starting a Life360 just feeds into a cycle of FOMO (fear of missing out) and invasion of privacy. Location sharing is perceived as a point of contention in 80 to 90 percent of relationships with young people, according to USA Today. However, people who share their location with their loved ones are seen to have increased communication and emotional connection, according to Psychology Today.
Despite countless initial fights and melodrama, I still kept that little purple Life360 app downloaded, and it improved my life.
By remaining on the app, I have learned how to manage my emotions. Now, I can see my friends’ location on my phone without trying to invade their privacy or feel chronic FOMO when I see friends hanging out with me. This app has helped me mature to understand that there will be times where my friends will hang out while I’m not there, and that’s okay.
Instead of using the app to fuel relationship tension, I’ve learned to use Life360 for practicality. Nowadays, I only open the app to meet up with friends in the lunch room or track my parents’ car as they come to pick me up.
When I’m in the city or at a concert, I feel safer because my parents and friends know exactly where I am. Almost 78 percent of Life360 users cite safety as their main reason for sharing, according to Life360 surveys. Location sharing, whether you’re a fan of it or not, has provided a huge level of relief in relationships that we have never had before the technology was available. There have been many situations where my parents did not want me going out, but because of Life360, they felt more comfortable and allowed me to go. Plus, it’s especially nice to track my mom when she is bringing me Jimmy John’s.
Though location sharing can sometimes amplify our stress, it has ultimately been a good change in the technological landscape as it can help people evolve emotionally and keep our loved ones safe.
When I was first forced to download Life360 by my mom, I thought it was game over. Most people are quick to blame location sharing as the problem-causer in relationships, as these apps are found on 87 percent of students’ phones in the building, according to an unscientific survey conducted by The Oracle of 312 students. But the app was never the problem, it was the user. By communicating with friends and family, you can use the app in a way that strengthens your relationship, rather than rupturing it.
So, don’t delete Life360. Instead, reset your mindset on location sharing.
