Tracking On Phones.

No exactly fancythat. Quite reasonable that you wouldn't want to know about the routine stuff of daily lives, but if you needed to meet up (for example), it can be helpful to be able to look and see where everybody is.
However I do think that there multiple ways in which people are over-invested in the lives of their adult children. It doesn't have to involve a smartphone. 😂

My daughter can track me, with my permission (not that I do anything remotely interesting!). I don’t track her as the 3/4 phone calls I get a day (often to let off steam!) keep me up to date with her doings! I don’t think the other two track me but I don’t really care; I don’t track them either! I live alone and it is quite reassuring to know that someone is looking out for me. I imagine it might be useful for parents to track teens although I bet it is a bone of contention- it definitely would have been when mine were growing up.

I had a married friend who, unbeknownst to me, had been seeing another man at the golf club. Her husband became suspicious, tracked her phone, and was able to confront her with her subterfuge and it all came out.
They are still together, oddly enough.

Totally out of order. In agreement with MOnica, children will be tacking us as we become needy.🤣🤣

My daughter and I track each other… we are currently on an extended narrow boat holiday….it works really well my daughter knows exactly where we are and can always find us if she wants to visit with the grandchildren.

The location apps are a two way process so each person is aware and consents. Whatsapp has a useful feature that sends you location to another person and you choose how long it should last from 15 minutes to couple of hours. Handy if meeting an acquaintance in a busy venue.

My daughter used to track my granddaughter, now aged 20, as she is vulnerable, but my granddaughter eventually switched off tracking on her phone, so my daughter has to hope for the best. GD is at Uni now, and we have had some incidents, but her housemates look after her. Tracking would be peace of mind, but she is an adult, so we have to respect her wishes.

Modompodom

My daughter used to track my granddaughter, now aged 20, as she is vulnerable, but my granddaughter eventually switched off tracking on her phone, so my daughter has to hope for the best. GD is at Uni now, and we have had some incidents, but her housemates look after her. Tracking would be peace of mind, but she is an adult, so we have to respect her wishes.

... difficult.

You can see both sides. I'm sure your daughter worries (and you) but, as you say, you have to respect your GD's wishes. At least she's in an environment where there are, hopefully, others who will watch out for her.

Not weird. Tracking is an inappropriate description, I think.
I use it to see where my DD is so I can gauge what time to have her children ready for collection, or when to return them to her home - yes, we have a house key to hers too.
Similarly, I can check if DH has remembered to collect the GC from school, or to gauge what time other children will arrive when visiting. Helps me plan my activities then and be ready for their arrival.
I don’t track them minute by minute, day by day. I expect they look to see where I am to see if it’s convenient to call.
It’s convenient and suits us all. If they, or we, don’t want it, it’s easily turned off, but we find it more useful than not.

I feel bad for the partners of these young men. I find this to be creepy and enmeshed. I really think the parents in these situations have mental health issues that they’ve projected onto their children well into adulthood. This is so over the top.

People have gone centuries without the compulsion to know exactly where adult offspring were down to the moment. This is an example of technology run amok. It is in fact tracking. It’s one thing if your children are minors. It’s another ball game entirely for adults to do this with other adults who are perfectly well functioning. Unhealthy indeed. Cut the cords when it’s time, people.

NotAGran55

When I read on here how invested some people are in their adult children’s lives I’m not surprised to read that people also snoop into their lives by tracking them on their phones.
I can’t think of a single reason why an AC would want their parents to do it.
Keeping an eye on youngsters or vulnerable people for safety reasons is one thing, but on adults otherwise 🤷🏼‍♀️?

I think I gave you a couple of reasons why I, personally, like to use this technology.

I repeat, the difference in attitude seems mainly "generational". Changes usually are. This conversation reminds me of all the times in the past when we would have heard the same comments about cars, phones, televisions, CDs, smart phones, video games, smart TV, oneline GP consultations, etc., etc.

In life, because humans use these things, nothing is all good or all bad. We simply get used to them and the improvements they make to our lives and legislate for bad people using them.

But some will always want something to complain about. I expect it will be me at some point but personally, I find this occasionally useful and really don't think we need to attack people for being "over invested" in their family etc., just because you haven't yet found it useful.

My family (all grown adults) share their location with me through “find my friends” It’s reciprocal (only way it works). We have no problem with knowing where we all are. I find it comforting.

I use technology all the time, it's certainly not that kind of issue with me. I think people struggle with understanding that some people really value privacy etc.

It's also really good to question new developments this doesnt mean we are against them. I wish people had done some more questioning about the impact of say plastic surgery, porn etc.

It seems to me that people throwing their hands up in horror at the very idea have failed to understand that if you don't want it on your phone, you can refuse to install it in the first place, pause it, or just delete the bl**dy thing.

I use Find My Phone app on both my husband and my phones. He has dementia and hearing loss so often doesn’t answer the phone. (and loses his phone).If we are in an unfamiliar town and we go our separate ways for an hour or so it is a godsend for my nerves that I can find him if he ever gets confused. It gives him independence until his dementia gets worse and then we will be glued together.

Galaxy

I use technology all the time, it's certainly not that kind of issue with me. I think people struggle with understanding that some people really value privacy etc.

I don't think people do misunderstand. To to each own, as they say.

However, I'm not sure digs about people being over invested in their families is really a great way to put your point across.

Galaxy

I use technology all the time, it's certainly not that kind of issue with me. I think people struggle with understanding that some people really value privacy etc.

Me too . I love technology and have always been an early adopter, whether young or older. I don't think that means that I have to buy into every new thing that comes along just because it is there, though - I can exercise judgement. Both we and our children value privacy too, so there is no generational element in our choice to opt out of being tracked.

If others, such as my friend and her family, do want to track one another, however, that's up to them, and I wouldn't dream of casting aspersions on either them or their motives.
San Fairy Ann as they never said in France.

Vintagegirl

The location apps are a two way process so each person is aware and consents. Whatsapp has a useful feature that sends you location to another person and you choose how long it should last from 15 minutes to couple of hours. Handy if meeting an acquaintance in a busy venue.

Yes, we share our live Whatsapp location with out son and DiL when we are travelling to see them and they do the same for us. We used it this morning so that they had some idea of when we would arrive. I believe that you can switch it on for up to 8 hours which would be long enough for most purposes and is not as intrusive as a permanent tracker.

Galaxy

It's also really good to question new developments this doesnt mean we are against them. I wish people had done some more questioning about the impact of say plastic surgery, porn etc.

It is Galaxy. I suggested legislation earlier, for misuse but it can be used to limit use or access too.

I do feel, however, that like King Canute, we cannot hold back the tide. In this case of time and technology. Much though at some time, we may all wish to do so.

cc

Vintagegirl

The location apps are a two way process so each person is aware and consents. Whatsapp has a useful feature that sends you location to another person and you choose how long it should last from 15 minutes to couple of hours. Handy if meeting an acquaintance in a busy venue.

Yes, we share our live Whatsapp location with out son and DiL when we are travelling to see them and they do the same for us. We used it this morning so that they had some idea of when we would arrive. I believe that you can switch it on for up to 8 hours which would be long enough for most purposes and is not as intrusive as a permanent tracker.

Yes, I can imagine using it like that. Mr D sometimes goes out for long walks, and this thread has made me think I might suggest we switch it on next time. He's often out of signal though, which would defeat the object, I assume.

Invasion of privacy. Really bad behaviour, I wouldnt dream of doing it. Then again I haven't got an I phone.

I think there could be a problem when the person you are tracking asks you to stop or turns off locations, they may just feel it is unnecessary but would the tracker question them as to why and think there is more to it?

Or you can just use an app and turn it on only when you need it. The essential is to understand how the technology works and how you, the user, can control it.
As I said earlier, Knowledge is Power.