When you think of tracking what comes to mind? A little hand held device that has a beam going in a circle showing little dots every once and a while, or of something else? Well, that’s something that is definitely an issue today. With all the technology that is advancing today, who knows what will be possible, even 5 years from now!

People today, they don’t realize what they are doing online or on the phone calling or texting or emailing, whatever they may be doing, they’re doing like it’s a given! Well news flash, it’s not. Think about it like this. Back in the Prehistoric times, when people sent messages to each other, they didn’t just get on their smart phone and send a text saying, “Hey, don’t forget to get Rexy his bone today, you know what happened last time, just ask Billy to catch the ball again…” No they went to each other and talked in their caveman voices and they told each other things face to face. And that’s how everything was! Back in the old days, and people were growing up, maybe cell phones had just started coming out. But only the rich people or the spoiled ones had them. They weren’t just a given. Now, almost everybody has a cell phone, and some, people can track where they are at all times! The I-Phone for example, there’s an app one get where they can just get their exact location and boom; they will know everything they need to know. Another thing we don’t realize were doing is when someone sign up for a social networking site, one has to give their name, sometimes address, phone number, age, why do these websites need to know all of this personal information? They’re just trying to get people to put their information out there for others to get and then other people can get on and see everything. What one puts on there is not just for who they want to see it; it’s for everyone who wants to see it! An example is Facebook; it is one of the largest social networking sites in the world. People out so many things on there that people don’t need to know, people will put, “Going to the bathroom,” or “Tbh,” or “Watching tv,” simple stuff that people don’t really need to know, or if they really aren’t thinking, they’ll put what they’re doing when and where and all their information. Someone could just sneak on and find all that out and then boom kidnapping right there.

These days, pretty much everybody has a phone, a Facebook, a twitter, or maybe even all three! And people are online more and more as the world moves along in time. And with this people are figuring out new ways to track other people and get information they need in an instant. One of these ways is something Google the big search engine everybody uses.

Google has come out with something that uses the microphone in the computer to listen into the surroundings and the intent is to make relevant ads (Faultline.) But, what if someone got that and they found out where someone was going to be. What if they found out when they were going to be gone and then they know when they can come rob their house. Think of how easy it could all be! But then again on the other side, it could be good. One could be getting better ads that actually interest them, but really, what is a few ads matter rather than one’s own personal space gone, safety gone, one’s sense of home, gone.

And with this technology available, security companies are going to want it (Faultline.) With all these computer whizzes out there, all they have to do is get one of them, get a little cash, and bam! Google’s software is hijacked and then they have it and now that’s just even more people listening into one’s home life.

So where is someone safe and secure and know for a fact that no one can hear or listen in to one’s conversations? Well, it’s certainly not in the streets. Recently, the government has come out with street lights called “Intellistreets.” What are these one may ask. Well, what they are are street lights that have a device in them that will record people’s conversations. Also, they can display information on where a missing child is, of can give someone directions on how to get somewhere (Clabough.) Now, don’t get me wrong, there definitely are benefits to this new technology, think about it, if someone is lost. Just go up to one and type in a destination and there are directions; or if someone’s missing a child, there is a picture constantly being displayed. But this is just another thing for hackers to hack! Think about it, they hack for a living some of them, and with this technology out there that records everything, someone could be talking about something with the bank, of have their credit card out, with a little digital touch up, they’ll be able to read a credit card number and someone’s out a lot of money.

Another thing that people are using to track people is something the Sante Fe School district is using. They have come out with school identification badges that have a tracking device in them that what else… tracks people! “School leaders say the devices improve security and increase attendance rates,” (Radcliffe.) They say the tracking badges just track people on the school campus. And yes, why would someone try to skip class if they had a tracker on and they knew they wouldn’t get away with it. Parents for one certainly do not like this idea. Most are concerned that the hackers, wanting to find some little children, will find a way to track them after they leave school. What would they do with all this information and technology available? This technology was first used in California. Then later, it was banned because of parents’ outrage. But then later on, another school decided to use it, this time with preschool children. (Radcliffe.) Now, when someone think of a preschooler, they’re not going to think of someone trying to skip school , the kids are going to do what they’re told, it’s not like they’re going to stay home and play some Madden all day! This second case in California brought attention from all over the country. Meanwhile, in Houston, this technology is growing and growing.

Then later in Radcliffe’s article, "It feels like someone's watching you at all times," said Jacorey Jackson, 11, a sixth-grader at Bailey Middle School.” Even the kids can tell something is different.

What more can there be one may ask. This has just scratched the surface. Insect spies, those are just in movies right? People don’t actually use those there’s no way…wrong. The people at the Micro-Aviary at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base have come out with a technology that is so small, it will sit right on the end of one’s finger. What it does is it can track a helicopter or any aircraft, where it is and its orientation, extremely precise, as close as a tenth of an inch to be exact. Now this technology is only used at air force bases but still, if it fell in the wrong hands, who knows. (Hazel.)

Other normal day to day items may not be “tracking free,” either. There can be cameras and recorders and such in tissue boxes, a boom box, wall clock, desktop speakers, alarm clocks, air fresheners. Also fans, thermostat, a sprinkler, iPod dock, watches, even flash lights! (Spyville.com.) What more can people possible use to keep track of someone?!

With all of this information out there, how can one get away from it all, how can we be free and not be under someone’s eye? Well for starters, instead of posting everything to a social networking site, don’t! If one wants to have one, then put the bare basics that is needed to sign up for it, no address, and no phone numbers, if someone needs to give that to someone do it in person, not to the internet. Additionally, don’t be stupid texting. Everything can be tracked and brought back up and be found again. They can see anything someone sent, so don’t be saying a bunch of important information. Another thing someone can do is take a look around, if something looks a little different, investigate, usually; it’ll be able to be found out.