Using GPS every day? Here is why new study says you absolutely should not

For millions of people, opening Google Maps or Waze has become second nature before stepping into a car or exploring an unfamiliar place.

But according to CBC, growing research suggests that constantly relying on GPS may come with an unexpected downside: it could reduce the brain's ability to build and remember mental maps, potentially affecting memory over time.

Neuroscientists and navigation experts say the answer isn't to abandon digital maps altogether, but to give your brain more opportunities to navigate independently—a habit they believe can strengthen important cognitive skills.

A wrong turn that changed one traveler's habits

Travel writer Tara McAndrew's perspective shifted after a navigation mistake left her standing at the edge of a forest in Wellington, New Zealand, instead of outside the apartment she intended to visit, CBC reported.

Rather than seeing the incident as just another GPS error, she decided to change the way she travels.

Today, she still uses Google Maps or Waze to reach a destination in an unfamiliar city. However, when it's time to return, she deliberately switches off digital guidance and finds her own way back.

McAndrew says the practice helps balance the convenience of technology with the need to keep her navigation skills active. She also believes wandering, making mistakes and interacting with local people are part of what makes travel memorable.

Research links heavy GPS use to weaker spatial memory

The concerns are backed by scientific research.

According to CBC, a 2020 study conducted at McGill University found that people who regularly depended on GPS navigation showed poorer spatial memory—the brain's internal system for remembering locations and understanding surroundings.

Researchers also observed that this ability declined further as GPS reliance increased.

The study's co-author, neuroscientist Louisa Dahmani, explained that the hippocampus—the brain region responsible for spatial navigation—also plays a major role in forming memories, managing emotions and regulating stress.

She said that when this part of the brain is used less frequently for navigation, it can gradually weaken, much like an underused muscle.

Dahmani told CBC that long-term changes in the hippocampus could potentially increase the risk of cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease, since hippocampal shrinkage is considered an important risk factor.

Why getting lost can actually be good for your brain

Experts say occasional navigation challenges are not something to fear.

Instead of treating getting lost as a failure, Dahmani encourages people to view it as mental exercise that strengthens the brain's navigation system.

Even when following digital directions, she recommends paying attention to landmarks, road layouts and surroundings rather than relying entirely on the screen. She also suggests trying to navigate familiar routes without GPS whenever possible.

Nature offers navigation lessons technology cannot

Traditional knowledge keeper Brenda Holder has spent more than three decades teaching people how to read landscapes through Mahikan Trails in Alberta, according to CBC.

She believes one of the first steps after losing your way is controlling panic.

Once calm, people are better able to notice natural navigation cues such as rivers, mountain ranges, the position of the sun or stars, sounds and even distinctive landscape features.

Holder advises using several environmental clues together instead of depending on a single sign. While moss is often said to grow on the north side of trees, she notes that shaded conditions can make that unreliable on its own.

She also believes constant dependence on technology has weakened people's connection with nature and reduced confidence in their own instincts.

GPS isn't always available when it's needed most

The importance of maintaining navigation skills extends beyond personal convenience.

According to CBC, GPS signals have increasingly become vulnerable to interference in conflict zones, including Ukraine and Russia, where jamming technology has disrupted satellite navigation.

Author Katherine Dunn told CBC that several European countries are investing in older navigation technologies as backup systems. These include long-range radio navigation networks and ground-based atomic clocks, while some naval academies have renewed training in celestial navigation.

The goal, she said, is to ensure people retain practical navigation skills in situations where satellite-based systems become unavailable.

Finding the right balance between technology and human instinct

McAndrew believes learning to navigate before smartphones became widespread has given her greater confidence today.

Growing up, she learned to read paper maps and later relied on printed driving directions before GPS became commonplace.

Now, she sees value in returning to those basic skills—not by rejecting technology entirely, but by ensuring it complements rather than replaces the brain's natural ability to navigate.

Experts interviewed by CBC say that occasional detours, careful observation of surroundings and independent navigation may not only make journeys more rewarding but could also help keep the brain active for years to come.