Book Nook: Parenting in a Tech World

 

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 

Many kids have access to tech, whether it's for school and entertainment. Parents who are concerned may want the equivalent of bike helmets or seat belts. I had a chance to read a book that talks about these types of safety features, Parenting in a Tech World. It's written by Bark tech execs Titania Jordan and Matt McKee. I found it to be a book that would be extremely helpful if it weren't for the fact that my husband and I both work in tech-related careers.

As a system administrator, my husband knows how easy it is for data to get leaked and malicious viruses and other things to get sent. As a teacher who has taught online since before Covid, I know how kids can try to get around privacy checks by their parents. Between the two of us, we have a pretty good handle on things. I still managed to learn some new things from this book - and that's saying a lot given our backgrounds. For most parents, there's a lot in this book that will be extremely helpful.

The book touches on a variety of things - why to protect your kids, how to protect your kids, and how to engage in conversations to keep lines of dialogue open (honestly, I think that's the most important part). It clearly makes the case for some level of protection for your kids, and gives parents tools for ways to do that.

 

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.