Anyone pre-order a Bark phone?

[Anonymous]

We are considering this for our DD’a first phone. She’s in sixth. Anyone else?
https://www.bark.us/bark-phone/?utm_source=aw&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=kids-phone-google&utm_content=147666934708&utm_term=e&gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN7YvKebYz1BcoV1q-niuAVy4ulhq1XPgc_-6tNBRmVhd61ghTUdn7BoCLbwQAvD_BwE

[Anonymous]

we got an iPhone and basically can do the same thing. I get all the texts, photos, apps require permission, etc...

When she was in 6th grade we disabled the camera. everything requires a parental passcode.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Mine has an old iPod she plays on and even though I’ve had it locked down, or so I thought, she’s found ways around it and gotten apps that were supposed to be blocked. If there’s a will…..

[Anonymous]

Non-Apple phone kids get kicked out of group chats - sad but true.

[Anonymous]

🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Mine has an old iPod she plays on and even though I’ve had it locked down, or so I thought, she’s found ways around it and gotten apps that were supposed to be blocked. If there’s a will…..

Then you are doing something wrong. Maybe bark is right for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non-Apple phone kids get kicked out of group chats - sad but true.

Thanks. That's great news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non-Apple phone kids get kicked out of group chats - sad but true.

Can confirm. Turning the chat green is a sin in teen land.

Its not up to parents to care about that though.

personally I just get apple bc I have no interest in hypermonitoring, screen time works well enough for me and I prefer to have apple across our family devices. All the monitoring on a bark phone would just be a waste bc I know I won't look at most of it.

[Anonymous]

We give our old iPhones to our kids. By the time it gets to the youngest (7th grade), it hardly works, so she knows she can only use it to call in an emergency

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are considering this for our DD’a first phone. She’s in sixth. Anyone else?
https://www.bark.us/bark-phone/?utm_source=aw&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=kids-phone-google&utm_content=147666934708&utm_term=e&gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN7YvKebYz1BcoV1q-niuAVy4ulhq1XPgc_-6tNBRmVhd61ghTUdn7BoCLbwQAvD_BwE

I think giving a kid a Bark phone is going to make them feel really self conscious and awkward. Why not just install the Bark software on a regular iPhone. That's what we do.

Also, you can set it up so your tween/teen's texts go to a different user profile on tour laptop if it's a Mac. I have that as back up, so I can basically read all her texts. I don't do it often but it's a condition of having the phone.

So is my knowing her password.

No need to give him/her a baby phone that will embarrass them.

[Anonymous]

Agree with just giving them an iPhone and monitoring. Mine has parental controls set up and I know his password and do skim texts every few days. No social media and can’t download any apps without permission. No TikTok. No games.
Agree that group texts are the worst and it’s not the end of the world if your kid get kicked out of them.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I didn't think that Bark was a baby phone. Not sure hoe you can even make this judgement considering the phone isn't even out yet. I've been doing lots of reading on these -- Troomi, Gabb, Pinwheel....plenty of people have them.

Look, I'm an Apple person and have been for years. I just don't think kids need something so powerful so young, not to mention the expense. I gave my kid the hypothetical choice of an iWatch, which I was willing to buy, and a non-Apple phone and she chose the phone.

She has plenty of friends in various groups and is into clubs at school and sports. When I've been around some of her friends, I'm shocked at how some of them literally barely look up from their phones ... ever. I took a couple on a road trip recently and one literally did not take her eyes off the phone the entire four hours. Constantly plugged in, constantly scrolling social media....no thanks. I'll put that off until she's more mature to handle it.

[Anonymous]

We use the Bark app and like it. My DC is getting my old phone when I upgrade so I won't be getting the Bark phone, but I like the concept. For those of you who don't know, on Androids it sees even apps like Snapchat and Discord. It's not just about monitoring text messages. Bark on my younger DC's iPad is basically useless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-Apple phone kids get kicked out of group chats - sad but true.

Thanks. That's great news.

We are an android family and all are parts of many group chats. Not sure what the issue is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I didn't think that Bark was a baby phone. Not sure hoe you can even make this judgement considering the phone isn't even out yet. I've been doing lots of reading on these -- Troomi, Gabb, Pinwheel....plenty of people have them.

Look, I'm an Apple person and have been for years. I just don't think kids need something so powerful so young, not to mention the expense. I gave my kid the hypothetical choice of an iWatch, which I was willing to buy, and a non-Apple phone and she chose the phone.

She has plenty of friends in various groups and is into clubs at school and sports. When I've been around some of her friends, I'm shocked at how some of them literally barely look up from their phones ... ever. I took a couple on a road trip recently and one literally did not take her eyes off the phone the entire four hours. Constantly plugged in, constantly scrolling social media....no thanks. I'll put that off until she's more mature to handle it.

From the link, it looks like an android. I doubt most 6th graders know the difference between that and any other android. I have good luck monitoring my kids on our iphones because I understand them. I'm also not super strict with phone use and never have been....mine actually don't just sit on their phones when socializing in person, I think because I never restricted it much. But personalities are different, and I see what you see with some kids too. If my kids were like that I might be more bothered by it.