**This blog post was updated on December 12, 2023.** For years, scientists and researchers have been telling us that there’s a link between social media and depression. Studies aren’t exactly sure why or how, but there’s definitely a connection. Some attribute it to FOMO (fear of missing out), while others believe social media is actually changing the way young brains are wired. But no matter he reasons why or how, it’s important to recognize and understand the symptoms of depression so you can help your child if they need support. The U.S. Surgeon General even recently issued a new advi ..read more

Jami Nesbitt is Bark’s Director of Data Annotation and Reporting, and — along with her team of more than 40 reviewers — is responsible for analyzing all of the potentially harmful messages that Bark’s algorithm escalates. These reviewers are on the front lines of child, tween, and teen communications, seeing messages from kids questioning their will to live through email, in text messages, and on social media. (A note from Bark: 99.96% of all of the messages we scan are processed by our artificial intelligence and are never seen by human eyes. The Data Annotation Team views a small ..read more

If your child is happy and well-adjusted, talking to them about depression or suicide might seem irrelevant—it might even seem dangerous. After all, introducing the concept of depression, you reason, could inadvertently push them in a direction they might not otherwise go. But what if you knew how to explain depression in a way that would better support your child's mental health? What you may not realize, is that there’s a strong likelihood this is something to which your teen has already been exposed. It is likely they have one or more classmates dealing with depression ..read more

In 2015, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 8% of teenagers attempt suicide every year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 24. The Washington Post noted that "more teenagers die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, pneumonia and influenza combined." We can no longer hide from talking about depression in adolescence. More recently, the CDC issued a startling report that found the suicide rate hit a 40-year peak in 2015, and doubled between 2007 and 2015 among teen girls between 15 ..read more

**Please note: This blog post was updated on April 14, 2023.** October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, which means it’s a great opportunity for parents to start conversations with their kids about the facts and dangers of substance abuse. There’s so much to unpack when it comes to teen substance abuse, so it’s understandable that parents might not know exactly where to start. But the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) says that at least 1-in-8 teens have abused an illicit drug in the last year. That tells us this is a highly prevalent issue, and our philosophy is ..read more

Every parent is tasked with the difficult job of keeping their kid safe from the dangers of the world. Some things are easy, like keeping them safe from sickness by getting them a flu shot. But others are more complicated and just plain scary to think about — things like domestic violence and cyberbullying.  While they are hard to think about, these two things are all too common among children and adults alike. The sad truth is that more than 12 million people around the world are impacted by domestic violence every year. Nearly half of the teens in the United States state that they’ve e ..read more

The struggle to keep our eyes off screens before bedtime is real for everyone — adults and kids alike. At some point, we all realized that an evening scroll through our phones was quite enjoyable, or that watching TV before bed was a great way to unwind. But the cold hard truth is that it can actually have really negative impacts on our sleep and well-being.  It's no secret that we're spending more time than ever looking at screens, and children are no exception. In fact, one study showed that as many as 96% of teenagers bring some type of electronic device into the bedroom with them. As ..read more

Growing up has never been easy, but for families today, it can seem even more daunting. Adolescence is a time of big change for kids, and dealing with emotions, school, and outside events can be overwhelming sometimes. As a parent, it’s important to help instill in your child healthy mental health habits that will last a lifetime, as well as to know when something may be wrong and a conversation is needed. This blog post will help you understand teen mental health a little better and how to connect with your child.   Stressors — And Coping Mechanisms — Are Different Today ..read more

If your family has struggled with supporting a child experiencing suicidal ideation, you’re probably familiar with just how devastating can be. It can be scary, anxiety-producing, and incredibly isolating. But it’s important to know that you are not alone. Many, many families have dealt with this issue, so much so that suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 14. Here at Bark, we’ve witnessed that 43.09% of tweens and 74.61% of teens were involved in a self-harm/suicidal situation in 2021 — a sobering and heartbreaking statistic. We send alerts to ..read more

Starting July 16, 2022, people in distress — including those who are suicidal or experiencing a mental health or substance-use crisis — can call, text, or chat 988 to reach support. This new easy-to-remember number may be new, but its lifesaving concept isn’t — dialing 988 will route callers to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The current Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will still be active after 988 launches nationally. Designating 988 as the new suicide hotline is so, so important for expanding mental health care in the U.S. First, it shows that mental hea ..read more