Bark Technologies Releases 2021 Annual Report

More than 3.4 billion messages analyzed across 30+ apps and platforms show alarming trends in children's online activity

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Bark Technologies

Jan 18, 2022, 07:11 ET

ATLANTA, Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bark Technologies today released its 2021 annual report of statistics and trends that focuses on the online activities of kids ages 10 to 18. The award-winning online safety company is known for developing highly sophisticated, AI-powered parental safety tools that include an app, hardware device, school-specific monitoring systems, book, and educational resources that help keep nearly 6 million children safe at home and in more than 3,000 schools and districts nationwide.

Throughout 2021 — yet another extremely challenging and mentally taxing year for many families — Bark analyzed more than 3.4 billion online activities from teens and tweens across the U.S. This year's report uncovered alarming behavioral trends, spikes in harmful issues, and the most frequented platforms and apps where many of these activities take place online.

Over the past 12 months, children continued to rely on technology to connect with family, teachers, and friends as they faced an enduring pandemic as well as periods of virtual learning and social isolation.

"Bark's data and stats continue to serve as powerful tools to inform where our kids need the most support," said Brian Bason, founder and CEO of Bark. "Our numbers also show exactly why big tech needs to be held more accountable for their products, and just how important it remains for parents and caregivers to play an active role in their children's digital lives."

Below are some of Bark's eye-opening findings from the past 12 months:

Bullying:

72.09% of tweens and 85.00% of teens experienced bullying as a bully, victim, or witness.

Depression:

32.11% of tweens and 56.40% of teens engaged in conversations about depression.

Sexual content:

68.97% of tweens and 90.73% of teens encountered nudity or content of a sexual nature.

Self-harm/suicide:

43.09% of tweens and 74.61% of teens were involved in a self-harm/suicidal situation.

Drugs/alcohol:

75.35% of tweens and 93.31% of teens engaged in conversations surrounding drugs/alcohol.

Violence:

80.82% of tweens and 94.50% of teens expressed or experienced violent subject matter/thoughts.

Predators:

9.95% of tweens and 20.54% of teens encountered predatory behaviors from someone online.

Disordered eating:

1.96% of tweens and 7.66% of teens engaged with or encountered content about disordered eating.

Anxiety:

19.69% of tweens and 42.05% of teens used language or were exposed to language about anxiety.

Trends for 2021 include:

In 2021, Bark saw a 25.15% increase in alerts for self-harm and suicidal ideation among kids ages 12 to 18, as compared to 2020.
In 2021, Bark alerts for anxiety were most often sent for 15-year-olds.
In 2021, Bark saw a 21.2% increase in alerts for drugs/alcohol as compared with 2020.
In 2021,17-year-old girls were most likely to engage in conversations about depression.
In 2021, Bark alerts for disordered eating were most often sent for 17-year-old girls.
In 2021, Bark escalated 1,171 alerts regarding potential school shootings to law enforcement.

Visit bark.us/annual-report to read the full report and learn more about technology's effects on teens and tweens in 2021. For interview requests from members of Bark's executive leadership team, contact Bark's department of media relations.

SOURCE Bark Technologies