By Meg Flippin, Benzinga

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - April 7, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - America’s public safety infrastructure is staggering in scale. A nationwide 911 system, hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers, and billions spent on emergency response each year. And yet, texting or calling friends and family is what many women do when they feel unsafe. They don't call the police - until situations become life-threatening.

It is a habit born of the reality that while the American public safety infrastructure is massive, it is, in large part, reactive. It responds to crimes in progress, not to a creeping sense of dread on a dark street or an unsettling interaction on the subway. Instead, women opt to text a friend when they feel uneasy. If they call 911 and are wrong, there is worry about wasting police resources or causing a scene. A text to a friend or family member that results in a false alarm won’t have as big an implication. 

A study commissioned by LogicMark, Inc. (OTC: LGMK), a provider of personal emergency response systems and developer of the Aster safety app, found that 70% of women text or call family or friends to share their whereabouts when concerned about safety, and 50% share their location through smartphone apps. 

Social Safety Falls Short 

While sharing location or texting with friends and family may give women peace of mind, as a safety precaution, those methods tend to fall short. There's no guarantee a friend or family member will even see the message - they may be asleep, away from their phone or have their phone on silent mode. And even if they respond, they may not know how to help or how to accurately relay the situation to 911. On top of all that, many messaging apps may not provide precise, real-time GPS locations, making it difficult for emergency services to locate the victim quickly. 

A more effective approach would blend that informal network with a structured, always-available system designed for moments of uncertainty. Ideally, this could include 24/7 monitoring to ensure alerts are received and assessed in real time, the ability to notify both trusted contacts and trained responders simultaneously and frictionless activation that minimizes steps, such as not requiring someone to unlock a phone or navigate multiple screens. It could also support passive safety features - like timed check-ins, location sharing that activates only when needed or wearable triggers that provide another layer of access when a phone isn’t in hand.

For women to be safe, there is a need for a structured system that eliminates variables that can cause informal systems to break down. A structured system removes those variables entirely. Help is available around the clock - no missed texts, no sleeping contacts, no dead batteries. It also ensures that alerts are escalated appropriately, connecting both personal networks and emergency services without relying on the user to coordinate in the moment. And critically, it removes the cognitive burden of having to think clearly in a moment of panic. It provides an accurate, real-time GPS location so emergency responders can get there quickly. A good solution won’t replace the informal network; it strengthens it. Loved ones are kept informed while professional dispatchers can handle the actual emergency response.

Aster’s Dual Role 

That’s the mission behind Aster, LogicMark’s mobile safety app that turns a smartphone into a personal protection device, connecting users to emergency services and trusted contacts when it matters most. It combines structured emergency support with social safety features. In an urgent situation, users can quickly contact emergency services while simultaneously alerting friends or family with their real-time location. The app includes multiple ways to access help, including a home-screen slider for discreet activation, as well as features like Follow Me and Hold Until Safe that let users stay connected and monitored during uncertain moments by arming the app, scheduling an event, notifying followers and engaging a monitoring service. Together, these tools provide both immediate emergency response and proactive safety support, while keeping location-sharing permissions limited to trusted contacts in an emergency.

Aster also includes a compact Bluetooth button, about the size of an AirTag, that can be easily clipped to a keychain, bag or clothing for everyday access. It can also fit in small pockets or on clothing. Paired with the Aster app, it enables quick access to emergency support when a phone isn’t immediately within reach. Aster is designed to mirror existing habits, such as texting a friend or sharing a location. But it marries that with automation and direct access to emergency services to keep women truly safe.

Despite the benefits, only 1 in 5 women use a safety app with planned check-in features, according to research commissioned by LogicMark. With apps like Aster, women no longer have to choose between worrying about overreacting and feeling safe. They get the best of both worlds: a social safety system layered on top of structured technology and 24/7 monitoring. To learn more about LogicMark and Aster, click here. 

Featured image from Shutterstock.

This content was originally published on Benzinga. Read further disclosures here.

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