URBANA, Ill. – Mobile apps that allow people to share their location with others have become increasingly popular. But how and why do we use these apps, and what are the implications for interpersonal communication? That's the topic of a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign .
"I was teaching a class on relationship development to undergraduate students, and I made a comment about location sharing. They all got very animated, sharing experiences and asking questions about use cases. I realized there was very little research about this topic, so I decided to conduct a study," said lead author Brian Ogolsky , professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at U. of I.
"I believe knowing how people use these technologies helps us to understand the scripts and the processes that underpin relationships, how they are changing, and what that means for how we relate to each other."
Ogolsky and his colleagues conducted an online survey with individuals across the U.S. and the U.K., asking them to describe their location sharing practices.
Respondents on average shared their location with 3.86 people, with a span ranging from 1 to 83. The majority reported using the Find My app for iPhone, followed by Google Maps, Life360, Snapchat, and WhatsApp.
People most often shared their location with their romantic partner, then friends, siblings, parents, children, other family members, and roommates.
The researchers organized the reasons people were sharing their location into four main categories: safety, practicality, casual use, and relationship processes.
Safety was the main reason for sharing location with immediate family, parents, and children.
"Respondents said it helps them feel safer knowing where someone is. That's unsurprising; however, it's really an illusion of safety. Knowing where my partner is 50 miles from here does not mean I can help them in a pinch, or that I can get somebody to help them. It may be more about peace of mind than actual safety," Ogolsky said.
For romantic partners and friends, practicality was the most common reason for sharing. That included convenience and planning, such as what time to make dinner, or coordinating who picks up the kids. Respondents also mentioned keeping track of people who are traveling, or interacting with others who live or work in different places.
Casual use included sharing location for fun and novelty. Some respondents said it seemed interesting or entertaining, and there was no specific intent. For example, they would share location with everyone in their friend group and then forget about it.
Finally, the researchers identified relationship processes as a separate category, indicating usage specifically intended to maintain, support, and manage a relationship. This could be about trust, honesty, and open communication. A few people also mentioned pressure or expectations from their partner or family members about their roles and responsibilities.
Ogolsky pointed out there are potential drawbacks when technology replaces human interaction.
"Our findings highlight we're heading towards a world where technological changes will dictate how and when we communicate. Location sharing is moving from primarily safety-related causes into the relationship realm, where it alters communication," he said.
"You can check where someone is and decide you don't want to bother them, so you don't call or text. It takes away the ability of the person to say whether they would like to talk right now, and removes interpersonal negotiation."
People come to depend on technology; for example, if you plan to meet someone at a concert and your phone dies, you may not be able to find each other. Location sharing with friend groups can also create a sense of FOMO, the fear of missing out, if you notice other people getting together without you.
Giving others access to your location also raises privacy concerns. However, this appears to be less important to younger generations who have grown up in a world where they have been surveilled by tech companies since they were born. Their idea of what should be private information is fundamentally different than older generations, Ogolsky noted.
There are also implications regarding whether location sharing information can be used as evidence in criminal court cases, and it can be misused in abusive relationships.
Ultimately, most people adopt a new technology because they think it's going to make their lives easier.
"There is something to be said for streamlining the minutia of relationships. A lot of people do not like planning; they do not like waiting. With location sharing, they can get information about others without intruding, they can be where they need to be at the right times. If they can squeeze in one more thing, that can be a real benefit for some people," Ogolsky concluded.
The study , "Near, Far, Wherever You Are: With Whom and Why Do People Use Location Sharing in Relationships," is published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships [DOI: 10.1177/02654075261446344 ]. This research was supported by Hatch funding from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
