Bark’s advanced technology monitors texts, emails, and social media platforms for potential dangers — even if your child is using slang you may not recognize.
KMS is an acronym that means “kill myself.” Related, there is “KYS” which stands for “kill yourself.”
It’s not always used literally, as Gen Z is known to joke about mental health struggles. For example, you might hear: “I accidentally liked one of my ex’s old insta posts, kms.”
It's important to always look at the context if this ever comes up with your child and consider having an open discussion with them about suicide. Take a read through this blog post for tips on talking to your kid about this topic.
KMS meaning and more: How to talk with your kid about slang
Need to talk with your child about slang meanings? Here are a few conversation starters for kids to help you teach them healthy tech habits.
“What’s a new word you and your friends are into right now?”
“When I was your age, people would say something was ‘all that and a bag of chips’ if it was awesome. What’s your favorite word to describe something as cool?”
“I know emojis can mean something different to kids than they do to parents. Are there any emojis I use that you think I should stop using?”
“If you could describe yourself using just one emoji, which one would you pick?”
More Slang Resources
Drug Slang Meanings
Kids often use emojis to talk about drugs and alcohol.
I really really have to recommend this service. We’ve used other programs in the past that were great at shutting down programs or setting time limitations… But they didn’t really help monitor. One of the things that I really appreciate is that it addresses the kids directly during set up letting them know that we don’t want to invade their privacy, just that we want to help keep them safe.
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Heather W.
October 9
I have used the bark app (and now, the bark phone for my youngest) across both droid and apple devices to keep me updated on current lingo and issues that I need to address with my kids for over 5 years. Thank you for the education, extra set of eyes/ears, and your heart, Bark people!
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Dorothea S.
February 12
Love! love! love! the bark phone!!!! I can’t say enough good things about Bark. This is everything i wanted in a phone for my daughter. You have no idea this moms frustration trying to find something easy and where my kid can’t disable the VPN that makes it work!!! every parent needs this for their kid…of any age!!!!!
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Jena R.
January 10
Bark is the best decision my husband and I made. We have a 15 year old and although that may sound a bit old for monitoring, it is the best thing for us and our teen because it alerts us on potentially dangerous situations and it holds her accountable for how she conducts herself online. I can’t see why anyone would discourage this. Thanks Bark!
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Kimberly S.
December 5
I have had this for about a month. It has absolutely produced excellent conversations and has built trust. My approach is not “gotcha” but “I love you and this helps me support you”. My children understand I trust them but I need to be alerted to some things. This has been a great fit for our family.
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Lisa W.
June 10
I’ve tried most parental control apps for my now 10 year old and this is by far the best. The integration with my son’s apps and accounts means he can start to have access to the things some of his older friends are into but I can be notified of content that might be inappropriate or concerning.
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Marianne H.
September 2
Thanks a ton. You have not only helped me protect my kids, but helped us have better and more open conversations. My kids live in a blended home, and this helps us be on the same page when we teach right and wrong and flat out dangerous
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Maureen A.
July 27
I put bark on my children’s phone for my oldest son who is 15. Never thinking that my 11-year-old daughter would have alerts much to my surprise when I hooked up her phone I got 97 alerts for her phone. brought attention to things in never considered! Thank you so much.
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Russell S.
December 10
I have been impressed with this app over and over again. Some of the things it was capturing from my son’s phone and alerting me to would have certainly gone undetected on a different service. Super impressed and happy with the service. Best out there hands down. We’ve used other services and I’m so glad we found Bark.
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Sarah S.
August 8
I decided it was time I got more involved in what my daughter sees and reads. So within 3 minutes of downloading, Bark found an extremely inappropriate issue!!! Though it did not involve her, it did alert me to a picture she took a screen shot of. It was a message from a boy to a friend of hers. It made my stomach turn. Thank you!
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