The arrival of GPS, or, Global Positioning System, is a satellite -linked, navigational system that has been a welcome enhancement to our everyday working and personal lives. GPS has a number of useful applications for use in cars, planes, trains, water vessels, cell phones, hand-held devices, and in computers. The Global Positioning System technology continues to steadily expand in its capabilities and the ways in which we use GPS in our daily lives grows day by day.

GPS technology is useful for pinpointing an exact location of a person, or residence for example. Having this information readily available is essential in emergency situations. 911 centers use Global positioning systems to direct police/fire/rescue personnel to those in need of emergency assistance. Most planes today are also equipped with GPS systems that will emit a signal that can be used to locate a plane that has lost radio-contact with air traffic controller's or that has crashed in a remote area. GPS not only produces radio-frequency signals that can be used for tracking, they can also provide detailed maps and directions to guide someone from one place to another. Such technology is especially helpful for traveler's who can access real-time maps, including important exits, city streets, etc.

Parents of teenagers have found that the "tracking" capabilities of the Global Positioning System, or GPS is a valuable 'tool' for them to use in order to keep tabs on the activities of their teens. GPS technology can track and record the movements of a vehicle that has GPS equipment installed, and also through cell phones and hand-held devices that are carried by teenagers. Children are involved in so many extra-curricular activities these days. They have soccer, football, and basketball practices, club meetings, and rehearsals for the school play to name just a few. Keeping up with a child's schedule, all the while hiving to meet work and other family obligations is a full-time job in itself.

And when teenagers get their driver's licenses and become mobile, they are even harder to keep up with. Teenager's are constantly on the move, they are: hanging out at the mall with friends, at the skating rink, taking in a movie, grabbing some fries at the drive- thru, "cruising" and so on. GPS can be installed in vehicles to track its movements, and can also be found in cell phones, hand-held devices, and computers. This allows parents to keep tabs on their ever-increasingly, mobile teens. Parents can view exactly where there teenager is through hand-held receivers or even with a home computer via the internet. Parents can then be assured that their adolescents are where they are supposed to be.

Parents shouldn't think that by using the technology of GPS to "track" the activities of their teens as an invasion of privacy. It is a parent's responsibility to do all that they can do to safeguard their child, and this is just one more tool to aid parents in keeping their kids safe. Let's face it: there is a lot out there for teens to deal with: peer pressure, alcohol, drugs, sex, gangs, and violence. Sometimes just knowing that a parent is keeping track of their whereabouts can help a young person to make the right choice for themselves.

Teens too, shouldn't feel like this GPS technology is just another way for their parents to be "over-protective' and not trusting of them. GPS technology can be a lifesaver in many ways for the teen on the go. If your car should get stolen, the police can use the GPS installed in your car to track and recover your vehicle, and maybe even apprehend the offender(S). Driving can be dangerous for anyone, flat tires, accidents, and mechanical issues can arise any time that you're out on the road. GPS technology provides added security for the teenager who is out and about. If the car breaks down, or has a flat, a GPS device can be used to contact someone for help. GPS is critically important should the car break down in an "unfamiliar" or "unsafe" area because GPS will pinpoint the exact location of the disabled vehicle so that teens don't have to become stranded in these situations. With the valuable tool of GPS technology onboard, parents and teen's can be assured that assistance will be sent where, and when it is.