JUNE 13, 2008

Putting Mom On The Map

My BFF Meghan is always keeping me up to date on new innovations, technologies, trends and fads. She’s the first person I know to have used Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, a Wii, Gmail, Twitter, or a blog. If she hadn’t signed me up for Facebook or Gmail years ago I’d be just another laggard asking what iGoogle is.

The other day Meg sent me a link to Google Maps to view a new innovation, Street View. If you haven’t already seen this, it’s pretty crazy. In 40 areas that Google has chosen, such as Hampton Roads, you can see what the area looks like as if you were driving around the neighborhood. She asked me, “Cool or Creepy?”

When she first told me I thought, of course it’s cool! I can visit places I’ve always wanted to see, view how an area has changed, and visit my parent’s front yard whenever I want (of note: my parents live in the Hampton Roads area, and no I won’t tell you their address!). However, when I looked up my parent’s address, what did I see, but my mom unloading groceries!! Now, maybe I’m a little protective of my mom but seeing that made me feel it was a little more creepy than cool. Although Google has “face blurring” capabilities, takes into account homeland security issues, and doesn’t film outside places like battered women shelters, I still felt as if someone was spying on my mom.

Nowadays you’re being watched by a camera, tracked on your computer, and traced by tiny chips in your clothes. After walking my mom through how to use the street view, she seemed more excited than worried that she was “on the map.” Do we no longer care that companies track us? Is this just a normal part of public life? As Meghan would say, “Cool or Creepy?”