Tracking On Phones.

I know of someone who tracks her adult children, and their children, mostly young adults, to the extent that grandson has gone abroad with his girlfriend for the first time, and they are being tracked daily !! I definitely wouldn't know where to start.

Yes I like the Apple Watch phone locator too. DH and I also use Walkie Talkie on our watches, which is great when one of us is missing in the garden. 😂

Hahaha! I use it most days! Invaluable!

Speaking of Air Tags - if anyone has an Apple Watch and didn't know this (or was it just me who didn't realise for ages?) if you swipe up from the bottom of the watch face and click on the little phone icon it will ring your iPhone. Very useful if you can't remember putting it in your bag and are halfway down the garden path, or if you've just put in a load of washing and get a sinking feeling that it might be in a pocket . It's a great feature.

I’m surprised that so many are surprised. I, my son and his wife and her parents are all on Find My. There are two small grandsons that I help look after, it’s nice to know when mum or dad are on their way home, or the other grandparents are on their way. We all know where we are if we’re needed. It seems so natural. My son and his wife are both shift workers so it’s helpful to us all.
My daughter is not with Apple so we track each other on a different app. She was cabin crew and travelled all over the world…said she felt pleased that I always knew where she was. She lives a way away and likes to track my journey when I visit, and visa versa.
I also have an air tag in my car in case it’s stolen, I also put an air tag in my suitcase when I travel anywhere. I’ve had my case mislaid twice…so at least I can tell the airline where it is!

I can see the value in knowing where 11-18 year olds or vulnerable people are. The idea of tracking my adult children or them tracking me, fills me with horror. Not because any of us are up to no good, or leading double lives, just because privacy is to be valued.
I find mobile phones intrusive enough.

Maddyone makes valid points about the use of tracking in Coercive control and emotional abuse.

I don’t need some tracker to tell me exactly when a parent will collect their children. They will have said, I finish at 5 today so hopefully, be with you by 6. Good enough

DaisyAnneReturns

Every bit of progress has a down side sadly Dickens but we can only legislate for the behaviour.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35815747

I felt a little nostalgic reading your post, so I found this recording - just a reminder of what it used to sound like on the Home Service.

... thanks for that DaisyAnneReturns - gosh, it brings back memories doesn't it! I remember our family listening solemnly to those SOS messages - and my grandmother shaking her head saying something like, "oh dear, poor soul".

It's interesting to note that the SOS system lasted for such a long time.

Every bit of progress has a down side sadly Dickens but we can only legislate for the behaviour.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35815747

I felt a little nostalgic reading your post, so I found this recording - just a reminder of what it used to sound like on the Home Service.

I remember a time - early 50s (or maybe even late 40s) when it was often impossible to contact someone - or even locate them - if they were travelling around the country on holiday, or for whatever reason.

Sometimes, it was necessary for such people to be contacted because a member of their family was acutely ill, and I remember the BBC radio announcements which would hopefully attract their attention - giving their names, the colour, make and registration number of their car, and the approximate location of where they were presumed to be travelling... asking them to contact a particular telephone number, because a relative was dangerously ill.

So, yes - tracking can be a fantastic piece of technology in instances like that, and others mentioned by posters.

But like all new gadgetry and technological developments, there is often a downside when it can be hijacked for use against people, rather than for their wellbeing. Which is why I believe the nature of the individual who has control of such technology is important.

Someone 'looking out' for the welfare and safety of a family member, or wanting to organise specific events, etc, will use it for their and their family's benefit. My ex MIL would've used it as a flippin' weapon along with her equally controlling son!

My sons and I have it on our phones but I live alone and my sons worry about me when I’m travelling etc I don’t see a problem with it. If you get a taxi you can share where you are etc

Yes, the 'curtain twitchers' were an absolute pain, and there was no way to 'switch them off'. Same with small town 'surveillance'. With the tracking being discussed on this thread we do have a choice, unless of course there is coercive control, but that is a much bigger issue.

"But to me it's the constant monitoring of what other people are doing throughout their day that's totally wrong." AreWeThereYet

But who does that? It would be weird. If they are that weird, and you can, switch them off. Coercive Control is a problem in its own right. Though huge for those it's happening to it affects a very small percentage. Otherwise, we all have a choice.

.....maddyone

maddyone

Bobbysgirl you are right, it is used as a stalking device. I would say that it’s fine for parents to track their children and teens on their phones, it’s not right for a husband or wife to track their spouse. It’s an element of control and it’s unhealthy.

This was the post I was referring to earlier Maddieone.
Thank you for clarifying that there are circumstances where a need to control is clearly not the case.

I also agree that if both parties are happy with the arrangement there is no reason why it should matter to anyone else.

I agree with Dickens that what makes me uneasy is the idea that people not wanting it must have something to hide, or that objection is based on a lack of understanding of technology (and worse, that this must be because of older age ).

That sort of dismissal of the views of others is the gateway to coercion, whether on this matter or anything else. The fact that tracking others most definitely can be coercive (although clearly it is not always used in that way) makes those attitudes raise red flags for me.

Was very glad when stuck by roadside and AA tracked me. Not only that, the phone operator told me how to switch the tracking on, phew.

But tracking family or them tracking me?
I'll be very glad when I'm vv elderly I think it would give more confidence when out and about just in case. No interest in tracking AC.

Excellent app for parents to check on children who maybe walk to and from school on their own etc but as for tracking adult children this seems a bit weird to me and wouldn't dream of doing so myself but so long as adults are aware they are being tracked and agree with it then who cares?

Yes mamie your inference was wrong. I believe these trackers are excellent for parents to use with older children and teenagers, and for adults if they’re happy and/or useful to them, as in the case of your husband returning from hospital treatment.
But we must understand that they can be used in a controlling way and that this is unhealthy and unacceptable.
Like most things in life, there are advantages and disadvantages, and this should be acknowledged and understood.

I used it with MrOops when he had to go to hospital, I could tell when he was near the entrance, no need to park, I just pulled up and he hopped in the car.
Well he didn’t actually hop as he’d had a procedure, but YKWIM.

Shelflife

I accept it has its purpose in lots of situations, however tracking adult children - well just weird especially if they don't know!!!! Bizarre.

But they DO know, they control it as well, they can just delete it!

maddyone

I’m unsure how pointing out that trackers can be abused and used to control people translates into wanting them banned. I have at no point even suggested they should be banned. I have said they have clear advantages for parents so they know where their teenage children are all the time. As far as adults go, I believe it’s entirely up to them if they want to use them, and if they are found to be useful or reassuring that’s good.
What I have said, two or three times, is that they can be misused and they can be used as an instrument of control, and that I know someone who this happened to.
We should not sing the praises of anything without understanding and acknowledging the disadvantages and misuse that can result. In some cases that misuse is serious.

I think most of us do understand that. Having been responsible for many years for issues of on-line safety I also understand that having the knowledge and understanding to use devices and software safely is the best thing that you can do to protect yourself and others. If you don't understand then it is harder to protect yourself and others.
Ban was probably not the correct word to use, but I inferred from your posts that you felt that location finding apps were never a good idea between spouses. If my inference was wrong then I apologise.
I am currently using mine to track my DH so I can be ready for him when he returns from chemotherapy. It seems like a good use of the app to us.

Thanks Galaxy too.

I will reiterate, I know someone whose partner used the tracking function to constantly track them and was questioning them all through the day with constant texts and calls. They couldn’t even go into a coffee shop for a coffee without prompting a text/call. All their spending was monitored too.
Good post Dickens at 8.03.

Thankyou maddy. Discussing issues relating to childrens and adults independence is not banning something its exploring quite complex issues of risk, etc.

I’m unsure how pointing out that trackers can be abused and used to control people translates into wanting them banned. I have at no point even suggested they should be banned. I have said they have clear advantages for parents so they know where their teenage children are all the time. As far as adults go, I believe it’s entirely up to them if they want to use them, and if they are found to be useful or reassuring that’s good.
What I have said, two or three times, is that they can be misused and they can be used as an instrument of control, and that I know someone who this happened to.
We should not sing the praises of anything without understanding and acknowledging the disadvantages and misuse that can result. In some cases that misuse is serious.