The situation of cyberbullying has gained vital consideration in recent times because of the widespread use of the web and social media platforms particularly.
Cyberbullying is classically outlined as the usage of digital communication to bully, harass, or intimidate one other individual. It can have extreme penalties for the sufferer’s psychological well being and well-being — and is typically even deadly.
Fortunately, software program instruments at the moment are accessible to assist fight cyberbullying, and one of the widespread is Bark.
What Is Bark?
Bark is a software program instrument that makes use of superior synthetic intelligence algorithms to watch and analyze the digital exercise of youngsters and youngsters. It is designed to assist dad and mom and guardians hold their youngsters protected from on-line predators and cyberbullying. Once put in, the app can be utilized to handle and monitor their youngsters’s Apple iOS and Google Android units.
Bark screens a variety of digital platforms, together with social media, textual content messaging, and e mail, and it could alert dad and mom and guardians to potential points earlier than they grow to be severe issues.
How Does Bark Work?
Bark makes use of superior machine studying algorithms to investigate the content material of digital messages and determine potential threats. The software program can analyze textual content, photos, and movies and acknowledge patterns which will point out cyberbullying, threats of violence, or different harmful behaviors.
When Bark detects a possible situation, it sends an alert to the kid’s mum or dad or guardian and a abstract of the content material that triggered the alert. The software program also can present steerage on learn how to deal with the scenario and counsel sources for additional assist.
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Given the large recognition of smartphones and tablets, the cold-turkey strategy of banning youngsters from utilizing digital units is usually unsuccessful. Resentment is usually a consequence — to not point out that many youngsters will use their ingenuity to get their fingers on a digital system.
The genius of Bark’s strategy is that it permits youngsters to proceed to make use of their digital units — significantly smartphones. Parental monitoring of a smartphone encourages youngsters to behave responsibly, earn belief, and alert dad and mom to potential cyberbullying-related issues earlier than tragedy strikes.
Bark Features
Bark has many options designed to assist dad and mom and guardians monitor their youngsters’s digital exercise and defend them from on-line risks. Some of probably the most notable options embrace:
Monitoring a number of digital platforms: Bark screens a variety of digital platforms, together with social media, textual content messaging, and e mail. This facet implies that dad and mom and guardians can control their little one’s exercise throughout a number of platforms with out having to log into every platform individually.
Customizable alerts: Parents and guardians can customise the sorts of alerts they obtain from Bark based mostly on their little one’s age and the sorts of content material they need to monitor. For instance, they will set alerts for cyberbullying, sexting, or violent threats.
Intelligent evaluation: Bark makes use of superior synthetic intelligence algorithms to investigate the content material of digital messages and determine potential points. The software program can acknowledge patterns and determine doubtlessly harmful conditions earlier than they escalate.
Support for a number of units: Bark will be put in on quite a few units, together with smartphones, tablets, and laptops, making it simple to watch a baby’s digital exercise throughout all their units.
Easy to make use of: Bark is simple to arrange and use, with a easy interface that enables dad and mom and guardians to view their little one’s digital exercise and obtain alerts.
Bark Benefits
Bark provides a number of advantages for folks and guardians involved about their youngsters’s on-line security.
First and foremost, Bark facilitates the early detection of potential points. Bark can determine potential points earlier than they grow to be severe issues, permitting dad and mom and guardians to intervene early and forestall hurt.
Secondly, Bark gives a useful diploma of peace of thoughts to folks who want to control their youngsters inside and outdoors the house. This consolation manifests itself within the data that folks, caregivers, or guardians are taking steps to guard their youngsters from on-line risks.
In addition, Bark’s resolution gives customizable alerts that permit dad and mom and guardians to personalize the sorts of alerts they obtain, to allow them to deal with the precise sorts of content material that concern them. This functionality is essential as particular person youngsters have totally different maturity ranges, and it permits dad and mom to personalize the sort of content material that children get entry to. The consequence is the chance to construct a extra substantial diploma of belief between mum or dad and little one.
Since youngsters usually have entry to a number of related units, Bark will be put in on quite a few merchandise, so dad and mom and guardians can monitor their little one’s exercise throughout all their units. It’s additionally useful that Bark is simple to arrange and use, with a easy interface that enables dad and mom and guardians to watch their little one’s digital exercise and obtain alerts. In different phrases, even technology-challenged dad and mom can use Bark and not using a sharp studying curve.
Partnership With Calix
Last yr, Calix introduced a strategic partnership with Bark. Calix is among the main world suppliers of cloud and software program platforms, methods, and companies that broadband service suppliers (BSP) use to ship a unified entry community and the good residence of tomorrow.
The Bark partnership is telling because it underscores Calix’s mutual concern about cyberbullying, as it’s the typical type of harassment confronted by teenagers and tweens. Calix has well added Bark to its rising system of premium system choices in its Calix Revenue EDGE Suites that BSPs can supply to broadband subscribers.
Via this partnership, Calix and Bark permit even the smallest BSPs, who usually don’t have the sources to implement capabilities like Bark by itself, to enlarge their worth proposition to the communities they function in. The result’s that BSPs are empowered to assist households defend youngsters at residence, college, and nearly anyplace on the planet.
In a latest SmartTechCheck podcast, I had the chance to talk with Bark’s Global CMO, Titania Jordan, and Megan Powell, Calix’s Director of Product Marketing, the place we mentioned the corporate’s partnership and dedication to sort out cyberbullying.
Closing Thoughts
Cyberbullying is a severe situation that may have vital penalties for youngsters and youngsters. Fortunately, software program instruments like Bark at the moment are accessible to assist dad and mom and guardians tackle this drawback proactively and robustly.
The rise of the smartphone and its recognition with youngsters has created unprecedented challenges for folks. Bark stories that its resolution has already lined 6.5 million youngsters, detected a staggering 1.1 million extreme self-harm conditions, and 3 million extreme bullying circumstances.
Calix has an extended and spectacular historical past with BSPs to make sure that youngsters’s on-line presence is safer. In truth, Calix was one of many first firms to supply parental controls to BSPs in 2019 by way of its ExperienceIQ providing.
The Calix/Bark/BSP dynamic’s enterprise implications additionally deserve point out. Calix’s DNA is characterised by its capacity to permit BSPs to handle, deploy, market, and function a majority of these premium companies in a resource-friendly method. The Bark aspect amplifies Calix’s worth proposition with BSPs as a result of it accelerates time-to-market with wholly built-in turnkey options.
Cyberbullying could also be a 21st-century drawback which will by no means go away solely. Still, Bark and its partnership with Calix is a decisive step in the proper course that may assist dramatically mitigate this drawback.
Sadly, households are confronted with quite a few digital risks that threaten their youngsters on a 24/7 foundation. By combining forces, Calix and Bark have raised the bar — and expectation — on what accountable know-how firms can and will do to guard our kids’s lives.