During times of distress, one of the most important things that a person can have is their friends’ and family’s locations. If you’re caught alone in a frightening situation, it can be imperative that at least one other person knows where you are at all times.
Life360, one of the most popular tracking services, was created in 2008 as a response to Hurricane Katrina. The app prioritized helping families easily track each other and bridging a communication gap. Other popular tracking services include Find My on iPhone and Snapchat.
“It’s really important that we share our location with people that we trust,” said art education sophomore Taylor Checker. “(Location sharing) is not only for safety reasons, but also for communication reasons.”
When you’re in college, it can feel difficult to get a hold of your friends. Most students are typically busy and may not have their notifications on. By having your location shared with someone, it can help people better predict if a friend is available.
“It’s very frequent that people will FaceTime regularly or (are) constantly texting each other, especially between friend groups and peer groups,” Checker said. “I think a quick check about where your friends are … (helps) to know what they’re up to, so that you can set boundaries with them, even with just sharing your location.”
Some people may be wary of utilizing tracking services due to discomfort with other people always knowing where they are, or due to fears of their information being shared with an outside source. However, the dangers that come with being away from home for the first time outweigh the negatives of location sharing.
When living in a big city like Austin, safety is important. The easiest way to make sure that you’re protecting yourself is by sharing your location. Having it on allows for discreet and non-distracting measures to be taken to ensure you’re ok.
“Sixth Street this past Halloween was absolutely insane,” psychology junior Katara Whitfield said. “Our whole friend group lost each other because it was basically a mosh pit because of the barricades, and I actually reunited with my friends using Life 360.”
Sixth Street is a popular night destination for UT students. As fun as it may seem, it’s important that students stay vigilant. This Halloween, the street had been completely shut down for vehicles to mitigate crowds, but it was still extremely packed, making it easy for people to be separated from their groups.
If you’re alone at night and unreachable, your friends and family need to be able to see where you are. By using tracking services, you can keep yourself and those you care about safe, giving each other a little peace of mind along the way.
Healy is a journalism junior from San Antonio, Texas.
