Gen Z’s Obsession With Location Tracking Is Really, Really Concerning

Teen girls may be more likely to use location sharing as a way to feel safer. According to the Life360 survey, 70% of Gen Z women believe their physical well-being benefits from location sharing. In the field, our experts also found that females were more likely to do this.

Caswell said that “mostly girls” will openly share their location with friends, “both for fun and because it makes them feel safer knowing someone always knows where they are.”

However, this sense of safety is a double-edged sword, as it can “increase the risk of stalking, harassment, or even sexual violence,” Caswell said. “Especially when their location is shared with the wrong person, which is often someone they know and trust.”

Groskopf warns of the dangers girls and femme teens may experience when their use of location-sharing is weaponized against them. “It can easily turn into emotional surveillance disguised as closeness,” she explained. (For example, a friend or partner telling them, “If you trust me, you’ll let me see where you are.”)

“I see these kinds of patterns play out in high-control dynamics — friends or partners checking locations not to stay safe, but to manage anxiety, jealousy, or power,” Groskopf said. “And girls are way more likely to internalize that and comply, even when it feels off. They’re more likely to be conditioned to avoid conflict, manage other people’s emotions, and keep the peace — even if that means overriding their own boundaries.”

That’s why teaching your kids how to set boundaries, in real life and online, is important.

Setting Boundaries