Personal Safety and Conscious Awareness: How Location Tracking Influences Risk Perception
Location tracking apps and technologies quickly changed our attitude to personal safety, as they offer convenient solutions for monitoring and protection. These tools promise to improve our safety in all spheres of our lives (from navigation to health tracking) but how are they affecting our perception of risk? Here we would try to understand these changes and help you avoid the trap on the way to security and effective use of this technology.
The Mechanics of Location Tracking
What is Location Tracking? Location tracking technology is primarily used for monitoring and recording the geographic location (of a device or a person) to use the received data for many purposes.
You've probably heard many times how location tracking technology is used in the security industry and utilized in applications like Number Tracker or bSafe (to track a person’s location or send notifications to trusted contacts for increased safety). However, the scope of tracking technology goes beyond that. Here we would like to consider the way it changes and simplifies our lives.
Common Use of Location Tracking
Navigation and Mapping: GPS-based apps like Google Maps or Waze help users find directions and traffic updates. They serve to provide real-time traffic conditions, route optimization, and location-based recommendations.
Fitness and Health Tracking: Devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches monitor physical activity, routes, and health metrics. Such apps are useful for workouts tracking, distances calculating and setting health goals.
Location-Based Services (LBS): Apps provide tailored services based on user location, e.g., restaurant recommendations, deals, or local events. These apps are dedicated to improve user experience with personalized offers and localized information.
Asset and Fleet Management: Businesses also use location tracking to monitor and manage vehicles, equipment, or inventory. Due to location tracking they are able to improve logistics, reduce theft, and optimize resource allocation.
The Influence of Location Tracking Technology and Apps on Personal Safety
Today's location tracking technologies offer a number of significant benefits that make our life easier. However, despite the obvious benefits, location tracking technologies can also distort the perception of risk. Let's take a closer look at these issues.
Pros of the Location Tracking
Advanced Safety Features
Many safety apps and devices feature reliable and comprehensive protection features like setting up safe places, real-time location tracking and sharing and automatically sent to emergency services or designated contacts notifications with location data.
Impact of the app: They enable quick response in emergencies, such as accidents or health crises. Location data can help responders reach the exact location promptly.
Examples: Apps like Number Tracker or Glympse offer notifications to emergency contacts.
Family and Loved Ones Tracking
Apps designed for family safety and allows members to share their locations with each other. This can be particularly reassuring for parents monitoring their children or for partners keeping tabs on each other’s safety.
Impact of the app: Provides peace of mind and confidence in the safety of loved ones, as their location data is available by click and you can help in a high-risk situation
Examples: Apps like Number Tracker or Glympse, as they can be used in case of emergency to inform the trusted contacts.
Safety During Travel and Navigation
Navigation apps offer real-time tracking of travel routes, providing updates on traffic conditions and suggesting safer or faster routes.
Impact of the apps: Increased sense of security and protection, because these apps help users avoid dangerous areas and navigate safely (especially in unfamiliar or high-crime locations).
Examples: Google Maps, Waze, and other GPS navigation tools.
Altered Perception of Risk
On the one hand, technology of location tracking and apps offer significant benefits in terms of safety and convenience, but on the other hand, they also bring complex changes to our sense of security. People need to understand these changes, as they can affect both our behavior and state of mind. Let's take a look at how location tracking affects our perception of risk.
Shifting Risk Awareness
Location tracking technology can shift how users prioritize and assess risk. When users see their location data in real-time, they might focus more on certain types of risks, e.g., geographical threats, while potentially overlooking other aspects of personal safety.
Example: A traveler using a navigation app may be well aware of road hazards or route changes, but neglect other aspects of safety, such as making sure their car is in good working order or being careful at intersections.
Impact: This focused awareness of risks can improve safety in specific contexts (e.g. avoiding traffic accidents), but can also lead to imbalance when other important safety measures are overlooked.
False Sense of Security
But unfortunately, not everything is as good as we would like. Due to tracking technology people can experience a false sense of security and believe their safety is guaranteed as long as their location is tracked. This can lead to complacency and reduced personal safety awareness.
Example: A college student might use a location-sharing app to feel safe while going out alone. However, if they rely too heavily on this technology and fail to stay aware of their surroundings, they should be more susceptible to encountering danger.
Impact: The false sense of security can lead to risky behaviors, e.g., walking alone in unsafe areas or ignoring personal safety precautions, under the assumption that the app will mitigate all potential threats.
Psychological Negative Impact
Constant awareness of being tracked can affect mental well-being. The knowledge that one’s location is continuously monitored might lead to anxiety, paranoia, or a heightened sense of vulnerability and even impact how users perceive and react to risks.
Example: A person using a fitness tracker with location features might feel stressed or uneasy about their data being shared with others. This anxiety might lead them to modify their behavior or avoid certain activities altogether.
Impact: Increased anxiety about being constantly monitored can alter a user’s daily routines and decision-making processes, potentially affecting their overall quality of life.
Tips to Balancing Awareness and Technology
Conscious awareness is essential in effective risk management, particularly for using technology such as location tracking. People need to understand how to combine the technology with a conscious attitude to be able to significantly improve their personal safety and decision-making. Here you can find our tips to balance the benefits of location tracking technology and apps with practical safety measures and realistic risk perception:
Combine technology with traditional safety measures. Use location tracking technology as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, traditional safety practices. Don't forget about awareness and stay alert even when using safety apps.
Educate yourself and others. Learn about the features and limitations of your tracking apps and explain their use to family members. But at the same time you need to recognize that while technology can enhance safety, it does not eliminate all risks.
Maintain personal awareness, stay alert and trust your instincts. Remember to avoid risky behaviors even with tracking technology in place.
Communicate openly and set clear boundaries. Here you need to discuss and agree on location-sharing boundaries with family or friends to ensure responsible use.
Understand the psychological impact. Recognize and manage any anxiety or stress related to constant tracking and find a balance with offline activities.
Use geofencing and other safety features of the apps wisely. Set practical geofences and adjust alerts to receive meaningful notifications without being overwhelmed.
Due to combining conscious awareness with technological tools and following the above advice, you will be able to better assess risks, take more informed decisions, as well as balance your attitude to safety.
Don't Get Trapped
Location tracking technologies are opening up new horizons in security management, but it's important to remember that not all conveniences have only positive aspects. Excessive use of these tools can mask real risks and create the illusion of complete security. Due to combining technological innovations with concern for safety, we can maximize their benefits and maintain a general sense of security.
