Do we benefit from GPS?

(Photo from: brandsoftheworld.com)

GPS is a convenient service, but do we actually benefit from it?

GPS was not a popular service when it was first released. It was not until later, when people started to link GPS to maps, then GPS started to catch on. There are many benefits to using GPS. It helps people save a lot of time from studying the map trying to figure out where they are when they are completely clueless as to where they really are. However, the one drawback from this service is that people started to over relying on GPS for directions to places. We are used to GPS taking us to places and no longer keep a map or study the map before we go on the road. This may be a very dangerous practice because when we are both unfamiliar with the roads and conditions and distracted from GPS's navigator, it is harder to avoid any unexpected conditions in front of the road.

Speaking of possible accidents ahead of the road, GPS could be useful when accidents happen. There have been many stories in which GPS was the key to helping people out of a bad situation, such as abduction and hiking accidents. GPS allowed police officers and firefighters to respond to the scene more efficient because it cuts down the investigation time when they are provided with close locations of the victims. Often times, police officers and firefighters are able to rush to the scene just in time to save the victims. However, this raises the question that if officials should have access to these supposedly "private" locations. We question if hackers and people who intend to commit a crime would be able to take advantage of this service and commit crimes at an ease.

One example of employers and employees' dispute to install GPS in cars is driver companies. Some employers install GPS into employees cars without the drivers' consent. Employers argued that employees waived their tracking rights when they enter the company. Employers also argued that those data are simply used to protect their employees by directing them away from potential dangers ahead of them, or to avoid traffic. Employers benefit from this service because they are able to keep track of their employees and achieve the most efficient performance possible. On the other hand, employees argued that their location is their privacy and employers do not have the right to these information. They also argued GPS tracking threatens their jobs, because GPS data may be affected by weather conditions or other situations that cause false reports, which employers may used against them and fire them.

Another commonly used function of GPS is to track the elderly or people with dementia. Caregivers give these people GPS so they could easily track down where they are. Although in a sense that it helps protect these people from going to dangerous places or forgetting how to get back home, there is also the concern that caregivers might limit these people's whereabouts. Caregivers might use GPS data to prevent these people from going to places where they rated as "dangerous", which violates their freedom.

Although GPS definitely proved to have benefited people in some ways, it also presented some drawbacks with using the technology. This shows that we need to use GPS with caution so that the technology does not become our tripping stone.