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In 2017, social media platform Snapchat launched Snap Map, a location tracking feature with the express purpose of keeping friends connected, while Apple’s inbuilt app Find My Friends is another popular means of location sharing.

While location-sharing technology was initially conceived with safety in mind, a growing number of friendship groups like Booth’s are using GPS tracking to stay connected.

Collett Smart, a psychologist and teen expert, sees the growing popularity of location sharing apps among friends as part of our increasing interconnectedness, as well as a greater desire for convenience.

“For this generation they prefer the idea of instant information rather than calling or texting. So they can just check where someone’s location is and find them pretty instantly.”

Brady Robards, an associate professor of sociology at Monash University, says location sharing has long been part of our digital lives, whether on Foursquare or by “checking in” to locations on Facebook. The phenomenon of friends sharing their live locations is merely an extension of this.

“It’s just a new way that those old dynamics are playing out around visibility of friends.”

Like Booth, Ruby Cole, a 23-year-old student from Sydney started using location sharing apps for safety reasons when she moved out of home, but has found the technology has added a new dimension to her friendships.

She says she’ll often check on the location of her uni friends to see if they’re nearby for a coffee.

“I think it’s creating a bit more of a spontaneous hang-out rather than having to plan and organise too much.”

But she says she’d be hesitant to do the same with a romantic partner, and has previously refused to share her location with her mum.

“My attitude is so different towards friendships compared to relationships because I think I’d be a bit hesitant to share it with a partner, even though of course you trust a partner,” says Cole, explaining she’s heard stories of location sharing being used for nefarious reasons.

Privacy and trust

A common critique of those who use location sharing technology is they must not care about privacy.

But Robards says young people today have to start navigating privacy and what they’re willing to sacrifice to technology from a young age – and the manner in which they do this is complex.

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“The assumption that young people don’t care about privacy is incorrect,” says Robards.

“Young people are very conscious of their own privacy, whether that’s privacy from their peers or family or government or from platforms, like Meta. But it’s different for different contexts.”

He explains they might be willing to sacrifice privacy for convenience, like with location sharing apps, but more conscious about privacy during difficult times in their lives.

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