Turn-by-turn navigation on phones and dedicated GPS devices has made it much easier to travel. However, the reliance on GPS navigation comes at a cost—you never actually learn how to get anywhere. That’s a problem.
The Good and Bad of GPS
My world changed when my HTC Eris received an update to enable turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps. I have always been comically bad at navigating. Even places I’ve been to dozens of times can escape my memory. So having a GPS device in my pocket gave me a lot of confidence to travel.
The problem is, while this did make it easier for me to get around, it didn’t actually help me get better at navigating. We can essentially “turn off” our internal navigation system when using GPS navigation. You don’t have to pay as close attention to roads and landmarks as you pass them. When it’s time to make a move, you’ll be alerted.
Recently, I’ve made a concerted effort to rely less on GPS navigation. Sometimes I will literally just start driving and see what happens. Other times I’ll Read Full Article Source
