Bark’s Annual Report 2024

Every year, we analyze the rate at which children encounter problematic content and people online. This year, we processed an astounding 7.9 billion activities on family accounts across texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and social media platforms.

Kids have complex digital worlds, and these activities represent late-night DMs, urgent texts with friends, and comments on countless apps — places where children communicate the most frequently. Bark’s software monitors these conversations in places where parents may not even know to look. 

The percentages for each category represent the number of Bark users who were sent alerts when their child engaged with or encountered a particular subject matter.

 

Bullying

Alerts for bullying range from mean-spirited teasing to hateful threats and provoking statements.

Experienced by:

  • 71
    %

    of tweens

  • 77
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

Bullying can happen anywhere, at any time — day or night. More than just teasing, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation.

Resources for families:

Depression

Alerts for mental health range from mild pessimism to talking about or planning to attempt suicide.

Experienced by:

  • 35
    %

    of tweens

  • 43
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

America’s emergency departments are being flooded by children suffering from psychiatric emergencies like depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. —U.S. News & World Report

Need help? Check out these blog posts:

Online Predators

Alerts for predators are sent when a conversation is sexual in nature and there’s a confirmed age difference.

Experienced by:

  • 4
    %

    of tweens

  • 7
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

It takes only 8 minutes for a predator to bond with a child. —International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children

Help keep your kids safe:

Drugs/Alcohol

Alerts for drugs and alcohol can range from texts about prescriptions to videos of a child consuming illegal substances.

Experienced by:

  • 63
    %

    of tweens

  • 78
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

5.9% of middle and high school students reported current use of e-cigarettes.

Find out more:

Suicidal Ideation

Alerts for potential self-harm and suicide include anything from text messages about cutting to an email draft of a suicide note.

Experienced by:

  • 37
    %

    of tweens

  • 60
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for kids ages 10–14. —CDC

How to get support:

Sexual Content

Alerts for sexual content can be anything from web searches for explicit content to a child receiving nude photos.

Experienced by:

  • 63
    %

    of tweens

  • 77
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

In a survey conducted by Common Sense Media, 15% of teens stated they saw pornography for the first time before they turned 11.

Ways to learn more:

Disordered Eating

Alerts for disordered eating range from mentions of dangerous dieting practices all the way to discussions of anorexia, bulimia, and body dysmorphia.

Experienced by:

  • 11
    %

    of tweens

  • 25
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

More than 1 in 5 kids and adolescents around the world show signs of disordered eating. —CNN

Check out these resources:

Anxiety

Alerts for anxiety are sent when kids discuss having anxiety or mention feeling anxious consistently.

Experienced by:

  • 22
    %

    of tweens

  • 40
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

Adolescents who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes including symptoms of anxiety and depression. —U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health

How to understand this issue in greater detail:

Violence

Alerts for violence range from graphic action in video games to direct threats against a child.

Experienced by:

  • 72
    %

    of tweens

  • 82
    %

    of teens

Sample alert:

There were 345 school shootings on K-12 school grounds in 2023. —Riedman, David (2023). K-12 School Shooting Database.

Tips and tricks for limiting violent content:

The most dangerous apps

Not all apps are created equal. These platforms are where we find the most issues for families.

Top apps flagged for

Severe sexual content

1. Kik 2. X 3. Reddit 4. Tumblr 5. Instagram

Top apps flagged for

Severe suicidal ideation

1. X 2. Instagram 3. Discord 4. Snapchat 5. Steam

Top apps flagged for

Depression

1. X 2. Instagram 3. Snapchat 4. Whatsapp 5. Discord

Top apps flagged for

Body image concerns

1. X 2. Instagram 3. Snapchat 4. Tumblr 5. Whatsapp

Top apps flagged for

Severe bullying

1. X 2. Instagram 3. Kik 4. Snapchat 5. Discord

Top apps flagged for

Hate speech

1. Kik 2. X 3. Reddit 4. Tumblr 5. Instagram

Top apps flagged for

Severe violence

1. Steam 2. Instagram 3. Snapchat 4. X 5. Reddit

These stats are more than just numbers — they’re children...

‘‘Bark potentially saved my daughters life…if you are contemplating this…don’t! It alerted me to more than I ever would have known. I can’t even repay you for what you have given me.’’