Have you ever used Google Maps and found yourself driving round in circles because you followed the app blindly despite knowing there’s a more straightforward route? We cannot blame technology for these accidents — after all, a good carpenter doesn’t blame his tools. In fact, it’s all too easy to relate to the woman who drove her Audi into Belapur creek while following Google Maps last week. It’s a grim reminder of our increasing dependence on technology to navigate everyday life, and how it comes at the cost of losing our internal compass.

The Audi car being fished out of the Belapur creek

“We take Google Maps as gospel truth,” rues Kim Sabir, yachtsman and co-founder of Adventure Breaks, an outdoor company in Goa that specialises in trekking, kayaking, coast steering, camping, sailing… well, you get the drift. Sabir doesn’t have an axe to grind against GPS apps, but he does feel that becoming overly reliant on them stops people from keeping their eyes and ears open for “everything in life”. “Map apps are really excellent tools for people to sail, explore new places, and navigate a city. The fact that you don’t need to stop and ask for directions is great, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop doing it completely,” he adds.