If you’ve moved to a new area, avoid using map services to get around and work on your own internal brain-map. You don’t want to live somewhere for a year and be helpless without your phone.
Actually, I found that using sat navigators for a while improved my sense of direction rather than worsening it, so that, even when I’m not using a navigator, I’m way better now than I used to be before I owned a phone with a navigator.
Really, as you’re walking/driving? That’s really interesting! I noticed whenever I start hearing directions, my brain shuts off and starts taking directions. Even if I know where I’m going! Which is pretty frustrating when I have a passenger who starts describing what I know to be the wrong way to go.
I use navigation services quite often (as much for traffic mitigation and ETA as for directions), but I never use voice guidance, even on long, unfamiliar trips. I think that offers the best of both worlds: you’re never going to get seriously lost, but you still need to check your surroundings against the map frequently, which builds a mental map.
This may not be reliable if you’re bad at multitasking or aren’t very visual, though.
Actually, I found that using sat navigators for a while improved my sense of direction rather than worsening it, so that, even when I’m not using a navigator, I’m way better now than I used to be before I owned a phone with a navigator.
Really, as you’re walking/driving? That’s really interesting! I noticed whenever I start hearing directions, my brain shuts off and starts taking directions. Even if I know where I’m going! Which is pretty frustrating when I have a passenger who starts describing what I know to be the wrong way to go.
I use navigation services quite often (as much for traffic mitigation and ETA as for directions), but I never use voice guidance, even on long, unfamiliar trips. I think that offers the best of both worlds: you’re never going to get seriously lost, but you still need to check your surroundings against the map frequently, which builds a mental map.
This may not be reliable if you’re bad at multitasking or aren’t very visual, though.