Our phones are turning map reading into a lost art

‘If phone signals are lost, most people would soon be lost too and, without the ability to read a map, would remain lost.’ Photograph: Peter Cade/Getty Images

How I agree with Ned Vessey (Scrawled bits of paper and an A-Z: How I went cold turkey on Google Maps, 11 December). I’m sure Google Maps has its uses, but for planning and then walking a route, especially cross-country, Ordnance Survey maps are invaluable. They helped Ned to appreciate walking around Bristol, and I agree that a town plan can be great in a built‑up area. But for walking cross‑country, an OS Explorer map shows every little footpath and track. A mobile phone’s tiny screen cannot show you the big picture of how to get from A to B.

I fear that map reading is becoming a lost art. Driving around with a satnav gets you there (usually), but with little appreciation of what has been passed on either side of the road. If phone signals are lost, most people would soon be lost too – and, without the ability to read a map, would remain lost. Thank you Ned, for speaking up for real maps!
Barbara Foster
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire