The GPS Trade-Off
It's peak road trip season across Canada, whether that means a drive up to the cottage, a cross-provincial highway haul, or wandering a new city on vacation. And there's a good chance your phone is doing all the navigating. According to a recent segment from CBC Radio's Sunday, that convenience comes at a cost: constantly relying on GPS and mapping apps may be making your brain lazy.
The idea isn't that Google Maps or Apple Maps are bad — they're obviously useful, especially in unfamiliar territory or heavy traffic. But researchers point out that when we hand over every routing decision to an app, we stop building and using the mental skills tied to spatial awareness, memory, and problem-solving. Getting a little lost, it turns out, is actually great exercise for your brain.
Why Wayfinding Matters
Navigating without turn-by-turn directions forces your brain to build what scientists call a "cognitive map" — a mental model of an area based on landmarks, direction, and memory. That process engages the hippocampus, the part of the brain closely linked to memory formation and spatial reasoning. Some research has even suggested that people who rely heavily on GPS over long periods show less hippocampal activity than those who navigate the old-fashioned way.
The CBC segment suggests a simple fix that doesn't mean ditching your phone altogether: put limits on how much guidance you accept. That could mean glancing at a map before you leave and trying to remember the route, turning off voice directions for a stretch of familiar road, or deliberately taking a wrong turn on a walk through a new neighbourhood just to figure your way back.
A Nation of Road Trippers
Few countries lend themselves to road tripping quite like Canada, with its sprawling highways connecting small towns, provincial parks, and cities separated by hours — sometimes days — of driving. From the Trans-Canada Highway to countless cottage-country routes in Ontario, Quebec, and beyond, Canadians spend a huge amount of time behind the wheel each summer.
That makes this kind of advice especially timely. Next time you're heading out on a drive to the lake or exploring a new town, consider putting the phone down for a stretch. Your sense of direction — and maybe your brain — will thank you.
Source: CBC Radio, Sunday
