Any smartphone owner used Google Maps or a similar app at least once in their life.
After all, the process is quite simple. Enter the name of the place and a handy map will come up, showing you the right direction every time. Most will argue that they will take you to that cool but remote restaurant in a matter of minutes and many believe that what we get is the best and fastest route.
While minor inconveniences like battery drain may happen at some point, a new study points out that extensive use of GPS apps can significantly diminish your wayfinding skills.
From a practical point of view, even if you are able to reach your destination in time you won’t remember the path. When you will have to go to the same location next time you will also need to use the app again since you will not be able to find the way on your own.
Use of landmarks
In the past people used landmarks in order to find their way from one place to another. A route consisted out of several landmarks that come in succession and people traveled from one landmark to another while also enjoying the unique sights it had to offer.
People that rely on the app are unlikely to look at their surroundings. Even if they were to start from the same location, they will struggle while traveling since the environment will seem unfamiliar.
Even if the use of navigation apps is quite popular in our days this is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, people may not go from one place to another like they used to in the old days but they will arrive faster at their destination.
The ease of using these apps also encourages people to be more adventurous since the risk of getting lost has been minimized.
Do keep in mind that sometimes the road towards your destination can be beautiful too.
Henry Lares is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including Tech Crunch and the Huffington Post. In regards to academics, Henry earned an engineering degree from Apex Technical School. Henry has a passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.
