All around the world, the Life360 app is a way for families to keep each other updated on where they’re going. This might seem like a great idea, but by taking a deeper look into the users of Life360 at Parkway South, the app has become a controversial topic. 

From freshmen to seniors, Life360 is used by all ages at South High.  

Freshman Mason Reed is a user of Life360. Having recently gotten his permit, Reed believes that it isn’t a privacy invasion. 

“I don’t feel like [Life360] has any control over what I do or where I go. My parents trust me a lot, and they only really use it to check my speed and keep their crash detectors on while I’m driving, since I just started driving and they want me to be safe,” Reed said. 

For some new drivers, like Reed, Life360 provides a sense of comfort and safety, since it is easy to have access to help when needed. The app has many different features, including speed sharing and location saving, which sends notifications to your circle when you’ve arrived at your destination. 

Many other South students have a different opinion on Life360. Junior Paige Spector views the app as an invasion of privacy at times. 

“I think Life360 has good qualities and safety features on it, but I think that kids should have their freedom and not be tracked all the time. Especially older teenagers. I feel like parents should have more trust in their kids to not have a tracking app,” Spector said.

Parent perspectives and student perspectives on Life360 can be very different. South High faculty member and mother of four, Kelly Grant, is also a user of Life360

“I think that our parents didn’t have the technology to do everything that we do today, but we also need to have trust in our kids to not be obsessive and checking the app all the time. Trust in your kids is very important, but in the event of an emergency, it is nice to know you can try to locate your kids if need be,” Grant said. 

Grant said she believes safety comes first when raising kids. And although there is controversy over the location tracking, it is a common theme that parents and students are more comfortable and have a sense of safety when knowing that they can find their family members with one click of a button. 

The Life360 debate basically comes down to the question of: trust or control, which is more important?

“I think trust is definitely more important than control because it builds your confidence in yourself because you know that someone trusts you a lot, and it determines your relationship with your parents,” junior Allie Cravens said. Cravens said her family also uses Life360.

Journalism teacher Gavin Brady said he reluctantly started using Life360 when his oldest son got his driver’s license. He said he questions whether it’s fair that his kids didn’t have as much freedom as he did when he was a teenager.

“When I was a kid we had no cell phones and definitely no Life360 apps,” Brady said. “When I had my license I could basically go wherever I wanted and my parents had no idea,” he said. 

Grant said she also has mixed feelings about the app. 

 “Nobody wants to feel like you can’t trust your kids,” Grant says. “I have faith that Life360 will help kids today be safer and build better relationships with their parents.”