Internet Addiction is Sweeping America, Affecting Millions
August 29, 2017
For the first time, a study on internet addiction is being funded by The National Institutes of Health, a signal that the problems stemming from excessive internet use may finally be getting the serious attention it deserves from the U.S. mental health community. Bark shares with CNBC 5 Tips To Keep Your Child From becoming Addicted To Tech.
Got a Kid Heading Back to School? Get These 7 Apps First
August 28, 2017
Bark is honored to be featured on Inc. Video’s segment on 7 Incredibly Useful Back to School Apps. Let technology help you and your favorite student take on the school year.
The Incredible Ways AI Is Preventing Abuse And Teen Suicide
August 24, 2017
Bark is an app that is designed to protect children and teens from online by using artificial intelligence to analyze their social media, text and email messages. It alerts the teens parents if it finds evidence of cyberbullying, suicidal thoughts, sexting or other risky online behavior.
The Rundown
August 4, 2017
Bark CPO, Titania Jordan, discusses recent news of Massachusetts teen Michelle Carter being sentenced to 2.5. years in prison for encouraging her boyfriend (via text) to commit suicide and how families can prevent tragedies like this from occurring by using Bark.
Bark – Keeping Children Safe Online (While Not Infringing On Their Privacy)
August 2, 2017
Bark, a Village startup, is tackling online issues. Their technology alerts parents of potential problems instead of having to search for them such as cyberbullying, sexting, drug-related content, and signs of depression.
Bark Saves Teens’ Lives by Using AI to Analyze Their Online Activity
July 11, 2017
At Bark analysis of 500 million messages has so far helped save the lives of 25 kids who were considered imminently suicidal but whose parents didn’t know.
For Kids in Emotional Distress, Apps are Just Part of the Answer
July 7, 2017
Bark combs through children’s social media activity across 20 platforms, as well as emails and texts – using advanced machine learning to detect signs of cyberbullying, sexting, drug use and/or depression.
Protecting Your Kids Online
June 26, 2017
Bark Chief Parenting Officer Titania Jordan discusses text slang parents should be aware of and the apps that need to be monitored.
Kids’ Slang with Bark App
June 26, 2017
With many kids and teens having access to the digital world, it’s difficult to keep up with their digital language. Titiana Jordan of the app, Bark, which helps monitor children’s phones for internet safety speaks with You & Me.
Is Snapchat’s New Location-Sharing Feature a Nightmare for Parents?
June 23, 2017
Snapchat announced a new feature this week that allows users to see where their friends are posting on a map. While the new feature may make it easier than ever to find and communicate with friends and check in on what people are up to around the world, some internet safety experts worry it may be another headache for parents. Bark CPO Titania Jordan speaks with USA Today about some of those safety concerns.
Should Smartphones Have an Age Requirement?
June 20, 2017
Titania Jordan, chief parent officer at Bark, empathizes with the reasoning behind adding an age limit for smartphones, but ultimately thinks the endeavor is unrealistic. The devices in and of themselves are not the problem,” she adds. “It’s what they are doing on them, what they are seeing, and how long the are using them that needs to be tackled with responsible parenting.”
Early Stage: Meet the Startup That’s Prevented 25 Child and Teen Suicides So Far
June 18, 2017
Bark, which charges $9 a month or $99 for one year, works with programs including Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Pinterest and Kik, and sends an alert to the child’s parents via email or text message if it detects a potential issue.
Do You Know What GNOC and PAL Mean?
June 12, 2017
Experts reveal the dangerous teenage sexting slang all parents should know. Parental protection firm Bark has released a graphic depicting text slang.
Best Android Apps – June 2017
June 9, 2017
Bark is a solution to assist parents in keeping their children safe online. It’s essentially a way to link your kids social media accounts and messages so that if there are any signs of cyber bullying, or any other inappropriate types of behavior, the app can send alerts to notify you as the parent that there might be a problem to deal with.
This is the Text Slang All Parents Should Know
June 9, 2017
Written communication among kids and teens today has morphed into such a confusing mixture of acronyms and emojis that it can almost make hieroglyphics more easily understood. This is why it’s important for parents to be up on the latest text slang.
The Dangerous Texting Slang All Parents Should Know
June 8, 2017
Communicating via text can be incredibly convenient, but it can also be used as a tool by kids to hide things from their parents.
Bark App Aims to Help Parents Keep Kids Safe Online
May 22, 2017
Bark is a new smartphone app that aims to help parents keep an eye on what their children do online and prevent them from various dangers on the internet.
Sneaky Teen Texting Codes: What They Mean, When to Worry
May 21, 2017
If your teen has a smartphone, chances are they spend several hours a day on text and social media. While most terms are completely innocent, some child safety experts warn there can be more than meets the eye with texting codes.
Can This App Protect Kids From Cyberbullying?
May 17, 2017
In today’s hyperconnected world, teenagers are spending an average of nine hours a day online (Children ages 8 to 12 spend six hours per day.)
Tracking Teens’ Phones
May 16, 2017
Robyn Spoto, a digital media expert, talks about how she uses Bark and other apps to monitor her kids’ phones. Bark helps by monitoring her sons’ social media and email accounts.
Could This App Have Prevented Hannah’s Suicide On “13 Reasons Why”?
May 13, 2017
Bark, a new app, says it can prevent suicide and help parents and officials monitor what’s going on between teens.
Bark Helps Protect Kids from Cyberbullying and Suicide, While Safeguarding Their Privacy
May 11, 2017
The stakes are high, as parents search for new ways to safeguard their children from the harmful side effects of online interaction. Bark lets the machine learning algorithm do all the work, operating in the background of apps and mining for red flags.
Keeping Tabs on Your Child’s Social Media Accounts, Texts and Emails for Online Dangers
May 11, 2017
Whether its Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, almost everyone has some sort of social media account, especially teenagers.
What they post could be setting them up to be targets for online dangers. Brian Bason is the CEO of Bark discuss how Bark can be used alert parents to those dangers, including cyberbullying and online predators.
Online Predator Dangers: What Parents Need to Know
May 9, 2017
Bark CPO Titania Jordan speaks about Bark as an online safety platform technology and provides tips on how parents can protect their kids from online predator dangers, stressing the importance of open conversations.
Keeping Your Family Safe with Bark
May 9, 2017
Chief Parent Officer Titania Jordan discussing Bark as an online safety platform technology that specializes in keeping kids safe from cyberbullying, sexting, suicidal and depression thoughts. She provides tips on how parents can protect their kids against these dangers, as well as listing dangerous text slang to look out for.
Bark Monitors, But Doesn’t Helicopter, Your Child’s Digital Activity
May 3, 2017
One of the biggest disconnects between the tech-savvy children of today and their parents is the child’s need for privacy and the parent’s need to make sure their child is safe. Bark has the answer.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
May 1, 2017
CPO Titania Jordan offers advice on how to keep your kids safer online and explains why Bark is different (and better) from other solutions out there.
Bark – An Internet Safety Solution
April 25, 2017
CPO Titania Jordan sat down with Design Driven to discuss the Bark’s internet safety solutions and how to guide parents as they raise digital natives.
Protect Your Kids Online
April 12, 2017 Issue
Titania Jordan, Bark Chief Parent Officer joined Steve to give a tutorial on the Bark app, which alerts parents when their teens are engaging in what could be unsafe behavior via texts, emails and social media like cyberbullying and sexting. The app can even spot the warning signs of depression and suicide. You can watch the clip here.
5 Ways Parents Can Help Prevent Cyberbullying
April 11, 2017 Issue
Start an open dialogue with your child, and be prepared to listen. It’s difficult for parents to know if their teen is a victim of cyberbullying. Brian Bason, CEO of Bark, talks about the five signs parents can look for if they suspect their child is being cyberbullied and the five things parents can do to help.
Devices, Deception, and Dangers
March/April 2017 Issue
Bark CEO Brian Bason explains how children can easily hide things like explicit photos and messages they don’t want anyone to see using vault apps and hidden folders on their phones.
Erasers and Ice Could Send Your Child to the ER: Here’s Why
March 18, 2017
There’s a new social media game that is sending some kids to the emergency room. It’s called the “Eraser Challenge” also known as the “ABC Game” where kids vigorously rub an eraser across their arms while citing the ABC’s. Many parents are asking why someone would want to be a part of this dangerous challenge. “Tweens and Teens desire popularity and acceptance,” says Titania Jordan, chief parenting officer of an online aid for parents called Bark.
Tech to the Rescue
Spring 2017 Issue
Letting your kids roam the world wide web unsupervised can be a cause for concern for any parent. Bark lets you keep tabs on your kid’s internet activity and alerts you to any detrimental activity in the ways of cyberbullying, sexting, drug-related content, or signs of depression.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
March 16, 2017
Bark CPO Titania Jordan speaks out about online dangers such as identity theft, phishing, cyberbullying, ransomware etc. She also provides tips on how parents can protect their kids against these dangers.
March 15, 2017
Bark CPO Titania Jordan is featured as a parenting expert on SiriusXM’s The Jenny McCarthy Show discussing how to step in if parents are alerted about their children experiencing cyberbullying and how bullying differs in today’s digital world.
Bark Execs on Protecting Your Kids in the Digital Age
March 15, 2017
Parents are finding new ways to protect teens online and still maintain their children’s trust and privacy. A service called Bark analyzes online activity and text messages for signs of cyber bullying, sexting and depression, and it alerts parents if anything suspicious is found. Bark CEO Brian Bason and Chief Parent Officer Titania Jordan join “CBS This Morning” to discuss their service.
SEXTING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
March 12, 2017
Whether planned, pressured or otherwise, it’s important for parents to be in the know and talking to their kids about what they’re sending (or receiving) on their screens. We talked to Titania Jordan, Chief Parenting Officer of Bark, an easy-to-use monitoring tool that parents can use to help protect their children online from the risks of cyber bullying, sexting, drug use and even depression and suicide. Ahead, she answers every question or concern you may have about your little ones sexting.
Risky App on Your Kid’s Phone? There’s a Fix for That
March 3, 2017
The CEO of Bark shares new details about protections against online dangers for children and teens
Special Report: Decoding Your Teen’s Texts
February 24, 2017
Do you have one of those teens who always seems to have his or her eyes on a smart phone? You are not alone.
Text slang 101 and ways to protect your kids online
February 23, 2017
We all know the dangers of the internet and as parents it’s hard to have any control over our kids social identity, but ironically enough technology is helping.
The Complete Guide to Buying Your Child’s First Mobile Device
February 6, 2017
The age you purchase a phone for your child’s maturity and ability to handle ownership responsibly. With a little time and effort, you can put into place safety measures to help protect your children. Read Bark’s Complete Guide to Buying Your Child’s First Mobile Device for some tips.
Bullying in a Digital Age: Services & Software Parents Should Know About
February 2, 2017
As the use of technology in our day-to-day lives increases, so does the probability of our children being victimized by cyberbullies. Here are some resources parents can use to keep children safe.
Decode your children’s texting slang
February 1, 2017
Titania Jordan joins us today from Bark to speak about some of the most common texting terms we may encounter and how to deal with possible texting tissues in our children’s media-filled lives.
This Week on Focus Atlanta
January 29, 2017
We provided assistance to parents looking to secure the internet and social media for their children.
How Parents Can Protect Their Children From Hate And Bullying On The Internet
January 27, 2017
Children who are bullied, either online or in real life, often experience fear, anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. In some cases these feelings can become so acute that suicide seems like the only answer to escape the harassment. Here is a look at some of the effects.
Do you know what your children are doing online? Tips to keep them safe
January 25, 2017
Smartphones and tablets often keep children or teens connected 24/7.How can parents monitor what their children are seeing or who they’re communicating with?
Machine Learning Tackles Cyberbullying
January 25, 2017
In a world where cyberbullying is a mere click away, what can parents do to keep their children safe without monitoring their every digital move? Analytics and machine learning are offering new options.
Bytes: Mommy, Daddy, & Me Time With Mobile
January 17, 2017
Mobile tech offers countless ways for parents to interact with, and care for their children. You use tech to manage just about everything, so why not tap into mobility to help enrich parenting?
The Potentially Dangerous Text Slang Kids Are Using That All Parents Should Know
January 10, 2017
Children and teens communicate digitally for a number of reasons. Whether they are texting or chatting online, these forms of staying in touch are fast and also offer a layer of privacy away from adults. Check out these 21 texting slang terms that parents should have on their radar.
Safety forum held at Tulsa high school
January 5, 2017
Bark and Rachel’s Challenge paired up for a safety forum at a Tulsa high school.
Columbine victim’s legacy challenging local students
January 5, 2017
Bark, a watchdog internet safety program paired up with Rachel’s Challenge.
‘Bark’ monitors your children’s safety online
December 27, 2016
Worried about cyberbullying, sexting, violence or other online dangers? Bark may be able to help.
Cracking the Teenage Texting Code
December 22, 2016
Parents listen up! We’re breaking the teenage texting code! You already know OMG and LOL, but do you know what MOS means?
*GRAPHIC WARNING* Dangerous text slang all parents should know
December 20, 2016
From hidden apps to something called “vault apps,” and secret text slang, your kids online usage seems to be getting sneakier by the day. Bark.us is a website and app that can help you navigate through the dangers of the tech world and how to keep our kids safe.
Startup Star Titania Jordan Gives Atlanta Tech an Edge
December 15, 2016
Bark’s Chief Parenting Officer discusses how Bark automates the process of monitoring your child’s social media, texting, and emails and gives teens and tweens a sense of privacy.
Learning the latest texting slang to keep your teens safe
December 11, 2016
Most of us know the basic texting slang like “omg,” “lol,” and “brb,” but if you’ve gotten a peek at your child’s phone lately, you know there’s a whole crop of new lingo that most of us have no idea about.
Decoding Teenage Texts
December 7, 2016
If you want to know what your kids are texting, sometimes reading the message is not enough. Teens often use abbreviations to hide the meaning of their conversations.
11 Internet Slang Words Every Middle-Age Parent Needs To Know
December 2, 2016
Tis the season of lights, and the folks at Bark ― a watchdog company that provides digital safety services ― would like to shed some of that light on what your kids might be doing online.
How to Decifer Dangerous Text Slang From Your Kids
December 1, 2016
Psychotherapist and Editor at Large for Live Happy Magazine Stacy Kaiser joined us live with dangerous text lingo all parents should know.
Can you decode your kid’s texts?
November 30, 2016
It is tough for parents to keep up with latest codes and acronyms their kids are using to text each other. But there are some codes they must know to keep their kids safe.
Closing Bell
November 11, 2016
Bark makes monitoring your kid’s digital usage (and keeping them safe) so much easier
November 10, 2016
Now that my son has a phone, as do all his friends, it’s a whole new world of parenting. For now, he is content texting his friends yo, bruh, what’s up and watching sports clips, but there will soon be a time when social networks come more predominantly into play
12 Best (and Worst) Parental Control Apps for Android
November 2, 2016
Thinking of installing a parental control app on your kid’s phone? You’re not alone. Plenty of parents use such apps to keep their kids safe online and to provide themselves with some peace of mind.
Keep your kids’ online activities under control
October 29, 2016
We’ve got to protect our kids from the myriad of things out in the world that can harm them while still allowing them enough freedom to explore and gain their own life experiences. We also have to ensure they don’t while away the day surfing Instagram and streaming YouTube videos. Whew. Here are some tips to keep control of your kids’ online existence.
Bark Review: Protect Your Children’s Online Privacy
October 25, 2016
A new service named Bark launched recently, and it is designed for parents who are concerned about internet safety of their children.
Protect Your Children from Cyberbullying
October 25, 2016, 2016
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. As our world becomes more and more connected online and our kids become more and more tech-savvy, online bullying is also becoming more prevalent
Remind Your Child that Technology is a Privilege, Not a Right
October 19, 2016
Our children spend hours every day accessing the internet from smartphones, tablets, and home computers. It’s important to bring the family together to create and understand the rules around using devices and accessing the internet.
Everything You Need to Know About Parental Controls
July 14, 2016
From simple content filters to robust home network solutions, new parental controls offer a range of media-management options.
The 11 most impressive social good innovations from May
June 2, 2016
When innovators develop new ways to tackle global inequality and crisis, even the world’s biggest problems can become slightly more manageable.
Bark Launches as a Smarter Way to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
May 12, 2016
Bark uses artificial intelligence to scan through social media messages and alert parents to potential cyber bullying, sexting and even depression.
Bark helps parents keep kids safe online without invading their privacy
May 10, 2016
Bark is featured on Techcrunch as a finalist as part of the Techcrunch NYC Disrupt 2016 Startup Battlefield.
Watchdog to Help Protect Children Online
May 4, 2016
Bark is featured on the CBS Eyewitness News detailing the value of Bark in helping to keep children safe online along with some lesser known threats like mobile apps masking themselves as a calculator or camera, while really a private social messaging tool under the covers.
Internet Safety
April 8, 2016
Bark is featured on Mom Talk Radio for segment on Internet Safety and some ways to protect children from online dangers like cyberbullying and grooming.
Father Catches Teen Daughter Buying Drugs…Thanks to an App
March 21, 2016
Trent, a father who uses a tracking app to monitor his kids online activities, was surprised to learn of his daughter’s drug use. Trent shares his story with The Doctors in an attempt to educate other parents on how they can protect their children.
Software designed to increase online security for children [Savannah Morning News, Ga.]
February 12, 2016
Smartphones, Facebook, Instagram and Vine have drastically changed the way we communicate. We can virtually connect with anyone in the world with the touch of a button — but that connectivity has also raised a big question among parents.
Monitoring Your Child’s Social Media Is A Necessary Parenting Tool
February 6, 2016
Concerned about cyberbullies, predators and general danger which lurks around every corner on the internet, one father signed up for an app which is designed to monitor a child’s online activity and alert their parent to potential dangers. It only took less than a month for him to get an alert that his seventeen-year-old daughter was up to something.
Dad Catches Teen Daughter Buying Drugs, Thanks to App
February 4, 2016
Daunted by the prospect of keeping up with his two teenage daughters’ activity on social media to protect them from predators or cyberbullies, one father signed up for a new app that monitors their activity online — only to discover that his 17-year-old had gotten involved with drugs while out with the family car.
Over 100 countries participate in ‘Safer Internet Day’
February 9, 2016
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) – Tuesday is “Safer Internet Day,” which means people from over 100 countries across the globe are working to have safer and better Internet.
The push for more responsible use of technology can be online through your computer, or through your phone or tablet. The goal is to tackle things like cyber bullying, and a Richmond Hill father is doing his part as well. He’s started an online tool called “Bark,” that will monitor your children’s email and social media accounts and send you an alert if they find something suspicious, such as sexting or depression, without you having to dig through their phones.
BarkTM, a New Internet Safety Solution, Leverages Advanced Technologies to Alert Parents to Potential Online Dangers
Bark Identifies Potential Cyberbullying, Internet Predators, Depression, Sexting and More
SAVANNAH, Ga. (February 2, 2016) – BarkTM, an online safety solution that proactively alerts parents to potential Internet dangers, such as cyberbullying and online predators, as well as signs of depression, suicidal thoughts and sexting, is now available nationwide after a successful beta test among parents of adolescents and teens. Founded by a technology industry veteran and parent, Bark is the only SaaS-based Internet safety solution powered by enterprise-level technology, including data science, machine learning and pattern matching, to address common parenting challenges and digital threats.
With sophisticated technologies that go well beyond simple keyword matching, Bark analyzes social media, text messages and emails to alert parents only when there is a perceived threat. These alerts, sent via text and email along with research-based recommendations for addressing the issue head on, empower moms and dads to combat potential online dangers and signs of trouble with their children.
“I’ve spent my entire career entrenched in the digital space, so as my oldest son started approaching the ‘tweens,’ I began researching how I could help to keep him safe online,” said Brian Bason, founder and CEO of Bark. “What I found were tools that rely on time-intensive parental reviews of every message, Tweet and text, or systems based on simple keyword searches. I created Bark to provide parents with a more advanced and time-saving alternative for their families.”
In a two-month beta test of hundreds of American families, Bark analyzed more than 250,000 online activities and uncovered potential issues affecting 20 percent of the participating families. Bark’s advanced technology found hundreds of instances of cyberbullying, depression and suicidal thoughts, explicit sexual content, disclosures of private information, and even evidence of drug purchasing. In each instance, Bark not only identified the parents promptly, but also provided expert recommendations for managing the situation.
“As a mom, I know that it’s challenging to monitor everything our children do online, and as a researcher, I know children do best when parents are involved and talk to their kids, especially when there is an issue,” said Yalda T. Uhls, Ph.D., author of Media Moms & Digital Dads and a Bark advisor. “Bark has a great deal of potential; the goal of this service is to make children active participants in their paths to becoming smart digital citizens.”
Bark is available via a one-month free trial at www.bark.us, and then is $9 per month, per family. The subscription covers major social networking and communication platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Google+, iOS text messaging and email.
About BarkTM
Bark is an Internet safety solution endorsed by parents and children alike for its ability to unobtrusively identify potential threats and provide proactive recommendations. Unlike traditional monitoring tools that rely on parents combing through every activity or that use keyword searches which ignore context and history, Bark utilizes data science, machine learning and pattern matching for smarter alerts. These alerts are combined with research-based, actionable advice for addressing the issue head on, putting more power in the hands of parents to address potential digital dangers.
To learn more, visit bark.us and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Press Contact: press@bark.us