You and GPS Technology

1. As someone who is not a Norfolk native, I am constantly using GPS technology to get to the most simplest places. I use Google Maps to get to class, grocery store, friend's houses, and everywhere that is off campus. On my first day of class at ODU, I used my GPS to find all my classes for the first few weeks, because all of my surroundings were very similar. If I was dropped in an unfamiliar area without GPS technology, I would be very uncomfortable, and a 15 on a scale of one to ten. I am very dependent on GPS technology, and I know it is not the best technological device to be dependent on.

I asked my sister these questions, as I already knew her responses, but wanted to see if they had changed due to her being away at college. She uses GPS-locating technology to get to places she does not feel comfortable traveling to by herself or anywhere she does not have the directions memorized. She also said she does not have a good sense of direction, it must be genetic, and having a GPS with her makes her feel more secure. One a scale of one to ten, she said she was about a 2-3, as she used to be much more dependent on her GPS, but she has started to be able to go unfamiliar places without it.

I asked my roommate as well, and we both are not from the Norfolk, so our responses are very similar. She said she uses her GPS to go basically anywhere that isn't the dining hall. On the first day of classes it kept her from receiving tardies because she did not know her way around campus. She mentioned that she is much better about moving around campus with her GPS now, but it was rough for the first two weeks. She said on a scale of 1-10, she said she used to be a 14, but is now a 5 or 6 because she goes out of her way to figure out how to go places without it.