Online dangers are at an all time high. Since the pandemic began, social media monitoring and screen time management company, Bark Technologies has reported a 23% jump in online predation and a 63% rise in severe hate speech, with even more staggering numbers reported surrounding the recent election. Still, despite these dangers, tech remains the #1 gift for kids this holiday season.
Bikes come with bike helmets. Cars come with seat belts. Devices require protection, too.
With this in mind, Bark recently released its newest safety tool: Bark Home, the latest addition to the company's suite of safety solutions used to protect more than 5 million children at home and in 2,500 schools nationwide. Connected directly to a router, Bark Home allows parents to manage all of the home's devices and set screen time limits remotely.
In addition, Bark tech execs, Titania Jordan and Matt McKee have also released their new book and Amazon bestseller, Parenting in a Tech World— just in time for the holidays—to equip parents with tips, strategies, and the confidence they need before unleashing a device on their children for the first time.
I had a chance to see a copy of the book. It was very well-written, with clear, practical tips and advice and a large amount of information, concisely written so it wasn't overwhelming. My favorite chapters were the chapters on how to communicate to kids about tech. The book encouraged parents not to necessarily single out online contacts from face-to-face contacts, but rather to ask about relationships all together, to ask about what was interesting in their day and let it include both online and offline activities. It included advice that was accessible for parents with little tech background, and also good reminders even for the most tech-savvy of parents.
Right now Bark is offering a free monitoring service. If you sign up by December 31st, Bark Jr. is free for life. It's an AI-powered service that monitors email and social media. According to the company, it's a great way to give kids a certain level of privacy (parents don't have to read everything) while still providing parents peace of mind (one example the company gives is that it can tell the difference between "this homework makes me want to kill myself" and "nobody likes me, I want to kill myself"). Free is a fantastic value, so sign it up and try it out!
No comments:
Post a Comment