Titania Jordan, CMO and chief parent officer of BARK Technologies, joins the show to discuss online safety for children.
I asked if online safety had improved or worsened since their last discussion. Topics discussed in this episode are Parental controls, mental health impacts, early access arguments, inappropriate content, sextortion trends, parent responsibility, and tech responsibility.
Some parents give young kids smartphones without restrictions, while others delay access.
Titania recommends delaying smartphones as long as possible and using locked-down phones like BARKs’ if needed.
We address arguments that early access prepares kids for college or helps them avoid social exclusion.
We discuss mental health issues, and Titania explains impacts like lack of sleep, sedentary behavior, social comparison, and FOMO. She recommends limiting social media time if kids already have accounts.
We talk about inappropriate content and how algorithms expose kids to inappropriate content tailored to their interests.
We discussed how popular children are now targets of sextortion to inflict maximum shame, not just vulnerable kids.
In discussing a parents responsibility, Titania stresses open communication with kids and educating all parents on risks
Our conversation emphasized parental control and responsibility to protect children, but that tech companies have a duty of care.
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TIME STAMPS:
00:00:00 Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Predators
00:03:48 Bark on Parents and Online Safety
00:08:26 Parents Giving Kids Smartphones at Younger and Younger Ages
00:14:57 The Growing Problem of Child Sexual Abuse
00:21:49 Bark on How To Educate Parents About Algorithms
00:28:06 Are Sex Offenders Targeting the Most Popular Kids?
00:31:24 Mental Health on Social Media
00:34:39 How to Limit Screen Time for Kids
00:38:06 Don’t Want Your Child Left Out of Tech
00:44:15 Bark Parenting: In the Know!
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Links mentioned in this episode:
About Titania Jordan:
Titania Jordan is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Parent Officer of Bark Technologies, an online safety company that helps keep kids safe online and in real life.
A renowned thought leader on digital parenting, Titania has contributed to pieces in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Fox Business, Daily Mail, USA Today, Vogue, and more. Her first book, Parenting in a Tech World, was published in 2020 and quickly became a bestseller on Amazon. Titania was also featured in the 2020 documentary Childhood 2.0. She also frequently appears as a subject matter expert on nationally broadcasted programs such as the TODAY Show, Steve Harvey, The Doctors, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Fox News, Sirius XM Radio, and CNBC.
In 2017, Titania founded a Facebook group where parents could come together and get advice on raising kids in the digital age, share stories, and learn the latest news about social media. It now has more than 300,000 members and is growing rapidly.
One of her favorite childhood memories is her dad asking her to “figure out this new computer thing” (i.e., read the Microsoft Windows 3.0 user manual) in the early ‘90s and later teaching him to navigate the wild west of the early internet that would eventually turn into the online world we know today.
When she’s not busy trying to make the world a safer place for kids, Titania enjoys painting with her son.
For the latest news regarding parenting in a tech world, you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and yes, TikTok as well. For a link to Titania’s recent media appearances, visit Bark in the News.