APPARENTLY I HAVE much to learn about technology.
The other day while at Walmart, I pulled out my Android to view a photo in my album. No big deal.
But soon a message popped onto my screen suggesting I take a photo at this Big Box retailer. What? I stood there, mouth agape, trying to wrap my head around my smartphone’s knowledge of my location and activity.
A tad unsettled, I grew even more unnerved when a second message popped onto my screen while I shopped at Aldi. The unwelcome messenger suggested I take a photo at the grocery store.
By then, I wanted this intrusion to stop. I asked my husband if he’d ever had this happen. He had.
This personal tracking feels way too Big Brother-ish. Too snoopy. Too creeping into my personal space.
Can location history reveal that I perused the toy aisles and the bargain aisles and the…? Does Big Brother know I bought a bag of Hershey kisses, Brussels sprouts (yes, they really are good when roasted) and a whole cartfull of groceries?
Yeah, I probably don’t want those questions answered.
I remember the days when telephone eavesdropping by a party line neighbor proved worrisome. But that seems like nothing compared to today’s technological tracking.
Thoughts?
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I have a land line and block all mobile device calls. I have not talked to my 2 sisters for a couple years now unless they are visiting & using my brothers LL. My ‘junk’ calls has dropped from 30 calls a week to 1 or 2 a week !!!
I used to get up to a half dozen junk call within an hour after calling or receiving a cell number. 😦 😦
That’s a crazy amount of junk calls.
It’s true and very unsettling. Another reason I don’t use a smart phone, besides cost of data plans, hardware updates, etc. I want my devices to detect the time zone I’m in….that’s IT!
I fought a cellphone for years. But, with kids living across the country, it’s just so much easier to communicate via texting or calls. I only acquired my smartphone several months ago, after my slider phone died.
Daughter has me on a flip phone family plan for emergencies, which has come in very handy. No unlimited data plans in my future though. If all this was supposed to make our lives easier, why is making it work for us so much WORK and EXPENSIVE?!! You’re smart, you’ll figure it out. Love your blog.
Thank you for your “love your blog” endorsement. I appreciate your kind words and your comments.
Good to hear you have that flip phone for emergencies. Yeah, the cost is a concern; thankfully on my daughter’s plan right now (for which I reimburse my/husband’s shares).
Go into settings and turn location tracking OFF. That would be better. c
I did see that option, but thought it would then affect use of mapping while traveling and locating me in case of an emergency (while on the road and I have no clue of exact location).
Go to your apps list and leave the location option ON for mapping, etc. Your GPS should not be affected however maybe google that question – I have an IPhone and it has the options to turn things on or off. But I know for sure you can turn ads off.
Thanks. I wish my phone came with a detailed manual. It did not. I was pretty much on my own. Thank goodness for the tech savvy younger generation to assist.
My phone and TV are the same brand and every once in a while they sync up together and I really hope the fridge of the same brand does not decide to join in – weird! Every once in a while my camera will just come on before I even log into my phone. I have my phone password protected as well as my messages and content in hidden mode. I am sure that adds a little privacy, but I am sure that little device is sharing way more secrets than I am aware of – ha! Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
Now that’s freaky, if your phone and TV are “talking” to one another. My phone is also password protected. I’m not using the hidden mode yet, but may, especially when I travel.
A family member was at a dinner party and she was asking a question to a person at the party and before the person could answer the device on the table was answering her question. Gave her quite a scare. Now I have learned that those devices pick up and store conversations too. SCARY!!!
Really? Now that is frightening.
I have an old flip up phone and even that’s too high tech for me. Lol
Nothing wrong with a flip phone. My husband was using one up until we upgraded to smartphones several months ago. He now wears a pouch on his belt to protect his phone at work. He works in a dirty environment with lots of machines.
I have one on my belt to protect my old flip phone because it makes it easier to hear and access for this old timer..
I can relate to the hearing part, especially since I suffer a significant hearing loss in my right ear. Nope, a hearing aid will not help for my type of hearing loss.
I do wrestle with the “Location” setting and often have it off, turning it on for individual apps such as Google Maps and only while using the app, then off it goes.
I may need to do that. Thanks for the tip.
I used to like having the latest technology gadget! I had one of the first VCR players and paid $1,550.00 for it along with an additional $35.00 for a remote control which at that time was a separate box next to the machine, can you believe that! Seems like a long time ago and technology never stopped but kept on going. Now days I despise it. Who ever came up with the idea of having a glass box (iphone) that you placed in your pocket knowing that it eventually cracks? Humm….. I agree with you, the phone knows way too much of your personal life. I have turned off as much automatic systems as I can, no gps, no siri, no apps etc. I totally dislike such items. At my age I am a classic and prefer old school ways like road maps (remember when gas stations gave them out free) pay phones (a phone is something on the wall with a cord). I never have liked phones much, we have become a slave to them. Even when growing up if I was busy and didn’t feel like answering the ringing bell I just ignored it. Eventually my friend would show up at my door and ask if I heard him calling, yes I did but was busy at the time and I figured if it was important enough he would eventually show up at my door which he did! They soon learned not to call but come over. I never have been one that needs to be in constant communications, however that being said due to having kids/grandkids my thoughts on this subject have begun to change. And so it goes…………………………….
Humm looking back at my response I sound kind of grumpy and perhaps need a cup of coffee, sorry!
I totally understand, except for the paying $1,550 for a VCR and drinking all that coffee. 🙂
My position on cellphones shifted with the “kids” leaving and two in such far-flung locales as Boston and northeastern Wisconsin. If not for my cell, I wouldn’t be communicating nearly as much with them. Not to mention the call to my mom every Sunday evening.
It is a double-edged sword for sure. I can appreciate, at times, the location services and getting helpful info. Was that Google that was prompting you for photos? I participate in the Google local guide program. I am told that the photos I have uploaded have been viewed over 4.5 million times (at last notification). You can also submit reviews on just about any type of establishment. I refer to Google Maps all the time when planning travel, looking for a place to eat, etc. The photos people upload are very helpful. It is a brilliant crowd-sourced project by Google.
Yes, it was Google prompting me for a photo. I have a lot to learn. Just reading your comment shows me that. I am in the bottom of the class when it comes to technological knowledge.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Growing tired of most technology and the pace of it all.
Yeah, I think we get to a certain age (not that you’re anywhere near my age) and “things” become less important. I’m especially bothered when people are on their smartphones all the time. If someone is talking to you in person, get off your phone.
Yes, you can be tracked, your habits can be learned easily. Our devises also cummunicate with each other, they put off different sounds that are in higher frequencies that we can hear, so your phone recognizes what you are watching on T.V. Based on these sounds and your advertising online will match up with your general interest. It’s all very creepy.
OK, then, I wasn’t aware of the higher frequency thing.
Most people aren’t, I love learning about stuff like this, but it’s all very scary, and that is legal is probably the worst part
It is part of the ever increasingly technical world that we live in. I agree with the suggestions to turn off the location services. Stores use that to gather data on you. Having children and “in laws to be” that work in the world of data analysis and marketing it is all part of how companies get data in an effort to enhance your shopping experience and be able to offer you items of interest. Honestly there are probably very few secrets anymore in our world. It is far too easy to access info on addresses, phone numbers, etc. but it is part of our world now. We just have to ensure that we are as savvy about things as possible and not share things that could compromise our safety. Case in point would be the non technical ploy of calling someone on their land line in an effort to get information out them that could help access a bank account. We all have to be alert to all the scams out there. I probably need to be more vigilant than I already am.
Wise advice.
We are so much alike. 🙂 I turn my location setting off unless I’m using it for the gps.
Many readers are recommending I do that. So I will.
I am worried less about the tracking than I am about the poor judgement of the trackers. They are not stupid, nor are they tone-deaf… it is just that the incentives for marketing out weigh common sense.
BTW, every time you pull your car into a Big Box Store, a license plate reader (LPR) tracks how long your car remains in the parking lot… It is how LPR’s were developed. The same goes with facial recognition software… the casinos developed that.
I get a kick out of people who criticize the police for Big Brother technology, not that they don’t have a point – but that the cops get it last. 🙂
Oh, my, I am learning a lot from these comments. How do criminals get away with anything today? You’d need to be quite tech savvy, it seems.
I wouldn’t like to get those messages either. I have a smartphone but do not get those kind of messages, but I guess that doesn’t mean I’m not being tracked. Uncomfortable to know, for sure.
I looked on my Android last evening but could not find the place to turn off the location. I will need to search again. Yes, all unsettling.
Hey Audrey! Just swipe down from the top of your phone, and a menu with quick options will show up. Tap the location pin and it’ll be turned off 🙂
Thanks for the tip. I successfully turned off the location feature after following the instructions of another reader.
I really don’t have any complaints about my iPhone. It did take me awhile to figure most things out, but I love it now. I was like you, not in a hurry but when my flip phone died, I just went for it. I especially love the GPS feature, I use it all the time. Always something new to learn I’m sure.
Great to hear your iPhone has worked so well for you. I agree. Lots to learn.
I remember back in the days when the phone rang and everyone raced to try to answer it first. I was in the cast for my senior class play (the 11th and 12th grades always put on a play every year to raise funds for the class trip). The publicity photo in the local newspaper was a scene just as described – three of us with outstretched hands over a phone. Now I don’t have a cell phone and get few phone calls until I collapse for the day into my recliner (usually in the late afternoon) – then the phone starts ringing! I try to remember to have everything with me before I really relax: the mail, the paper, my water bottle, the TV remote, and the phone.
I share similar memories regarding the landline. I remember when my family didn’t have a phone. We had a fire near the barn and Mom had to race to the neighbor’s farm for help.
We have the location tracking turned off on all devices. It can always be turned on for maps and then turned off again.
I still need to find the location tracker on my phone.
Go to settings then privacy and then location services and you should have an option to turn it on or off
Got it. Done. Thank you.
You are welcome
I’m glad I don’t have a smartphone!!
There are definitely good reasons not to have one. But, for me, with three adult kids (ranging in age from 22 – 30), it’s the easiest way to communicate.
I can see that. My choice not to have one is that I simply don’t need it. So decided to save the money instead! But it IS creepy feeling like we’re being constantly watched/spied on. Scary stuff!!
And it’s a good way to save money because these smartphones do cost money.
impressive with 50 responses to your posting !! and all have given you great suggestions. Yes it is problematic when we know someone out there knows our location as we would rather fly under the radar. If I have followed you correctly your recent purchases have included new glasses, coffee pot, phone (though I may have missed something) I’m waiting now to see what new technology piece you invest in as I so enjoy your comments on your postings and looks like your readers do too with 50 weighing in..
I have to tell you, I’m surprised at the response to my smartphone and coffee postings. These are topics that touch nearly everyone, thus a lot of interest. I also have garnered a lot of new followers recently. So a big thank you to everyone, including you, who appreciates my Minnesota Prairie Roots writing and photography. I am grateful.
I am thinking tracking led me to your blog, I have been interested in MN for awhile, I had just been on Amazon looking at a book about The Long Winter and if that year was really as bad as Laura Ingalls Wilder had written about.
Whatever led you to Minnesota Prairie Roots, I am happy to have you here as a reader and commenter. Welcome.
Yes, winters get quite brutal on the prairie. I grew up only 20 miles from Walnut Grove, Laura’s Minnesota childhood home. Have you seen my winter photo posted today from my childhood? Winters back in the 1960s seemed snowier and more fierce than today.