Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photo
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Technology
Lucy Devine
A relationship therapist has issued a warning to couples who share their location with each other.
Pinging over your location or even having your partner on a location app can be pretty handy and convenient, especially if you're meeting up, waiting for them to arrive at your place or wondering if they got home safely.
While many people happily share their location with their partner, others are adamant about not doing so, fearing that their partner may feel like they are monitoring them.
Despite this, some say a relationship isn't 'official' unless you're using a location-sharing app, while Life360 claims that more couples are sharing their locations than ever before.
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"Ninety-five per cent of adults use some form of location-sharing tech, with 40 per cent relying on apps like Life 360." Life360 Chief Marketing Officer Mike Zeman told FOX News.
"They're using it for knowing that their partner is safe or being alerted when they're not...so seeing where they are on the map, you know, versus having to sort of text or call."
He added: "Nearly 60 per cent of them say that sharing makes the relationship just feel more official.
"Nearly 70 per cent say that it improves convenience and coordination in the relationship."
The survey also revealed 45 per cent of the app's users say knowing their partner's location helps with their mental health.
And while there are arguments for and against, one expert has actually warned against it.
Couples therapist Joanna Harrison, told the Guardian that in her opinion, sharing locations could threaten the 'balance between independence and togetherness'.
She also suggested that knowing exactly when your partner is arriving before they get there removes a bit of the romance.
“It would be a shame if these apps took away an opportunity to share the details of each other’s independent lives because they already knew them,” she said.
“There’s also a part of me that feels that a bit of romance is lost when you know, to the second, where someone is. What about the satisfying feeling of longing to be met when you know someone is arriving, but you don’t quite know when?”
Although there are many benefits, Anna Martin, host of the Modern Love podcast, explained that being able to see a person's location is like having a 'superpower'.
However, she warned against misusing it.
“But like any superpower, it must be used responsibly. And sometimes, that means just turning it off.”