Author: Bark Team

We recently revealed that demand for private counsellors had increased by 65% since 2016 on Bark.com. After further investigation into our data, we can reveal that 5,009 Brits requested to book a counsellor for gaming addiction in the last 12 months, and 30% of those requests (1,511) were made by parents for their children.

Gaming addiction has been in the news a lot since it was classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organisation in January 2018, however it is still shocking to discover that more than 1,500 children are potentially suffering with the condition in the UK according to our data.

We decided to team up with some of our top counsellors to create a comprehensive guide for parents, on what to look out for if you suspect your child has a gaming addiction and what you can do about it.

The tell-tale signs of gaming addiction are:

• Expresses extreme anger, irritation and frustration when they’re not allowed access to a video game
• Appears depressed and anxious when they’re not playing a video game
• Becomes disinterested with school work and other activities that they previously enjoyed like sport
• Drastic change in mood when they start playing the game. This can be from calm to excited or from angry to happy for example
• Appears to lose control whilst playing the game and expresses uncharacteristic emotions
• Refuses to leave the room where their game console is
• Becomes more confrontational, especially around bedtime
• Avoids showering and neglects general personal hygiene like brushing their teeth and combing their hair
• Sudden weight gain
• Refusal or hesitation to take part in family activities, such as leaving the house to see grandparents or going for a family meal out
• Decline in communication, for example they speak less to family members in family situations like dinner and don’t contribute to conversations
• Behaviour at school and home worsens and they start to challenge the authority figures in their life. This can be in the form of fighting with other pupils or siblings, being verbally rude to teachers and/or family members and disruptive in classrooms
• School grades start to drop

What can you do if you suspect your child has a gaming addiction?

• Seek professional help, either from a counsellor or your GP
• It could be that the professional suggests your child enrol in a compulsive gaming rehab programme
• Behaviour modification techniques are often utilised to help the individual curb their compulsive gaming
• Family counselling is sometimes beneficial and can help get to the root of the addiction
• Wellness and adventure retreats are also useful to help the individual engage with other more positive activities again
• Be patient, getting over an addiction can take a long time, but consistency is key

You can find a mental health professional who specialises in gaming addiction or addiction therapy here.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com said,

“We were shocked at just how many people have sought help for gaming addiction in the last year. It seems to be a modern problem, from working with our counsellors it’s evident that parents are struggling to see the signs. What is apparent is that it’s like any other addiction, except children are more at risk of suffering from it because there’s no age limit like there is with alcohol and it’s very accessible unlike illegal drugs.  

“Our counsellors have advised parents to be wary of their child’s behaviour this Summer, especially with games like Fortnite, where it’s the ‘in’ thing to do. Any parents who are concerned can seek professional help and advice, whether that is hiring a counsellor or going to your GP. Gaming addiction is not something to be taken lightly and can have a devastating emotional impact.”

We’re launching a professional eradicator service to help you manage your digital footprint and permanently delete or hide any potentially damaging information about yourself online.

We decided to launch this service after we saw that 70% of employers screen candidates on social media before inviting them for interview. Thirty percent of HR departments have a member of their team dedicated to social recruiting*.

You can hire a professional eradicator here.

So far this year, several celebrities have been caught out by things they’ve said online. Zoella, Stormzy and James Gunn are just some of the people that have had their reputations damaged when tweets, some several years old, that were offensive, racist, homophobic or sexist in nature were uncovered.

Honing a digital footprint won’t just help you professionally. Recent data showed that 75% of women and 59% of men check out prospective partners on social media ahead of blind dates**. In 2014, a landmark case at the Court of Justice of the European Union saw Google begin to handle ‘right to be forgotten’ requests. Since then it has removed 800,000+ pages from its search engine***.

However, getting rid of all information about yourself online is risky as well! Fifty-seven percent of employers are less likely to invite someone for an interview if they can’t find them online*.

Professional eradicators can expect to earn around £40 per hour but, as with all our service providers, they set their own rates. They must be able to:

1. Find and advise on potentially damaging online information. It can be from personal or other accounts.
2. Erase or hide information using the proper channels and procedures.
3. Discuss how to keep information offline or as hidden as possible.
4. Set up alerts, so the client can continually check on their online presence.

If you’d like to become a professional eradicator, you can sign up here.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“So much of our lives are lived online now that people might have said something controversial when they were younger and naïve, but not realise they can still suffer the consequences today. Some people use social media to vent or complain and don’t think about the permanent nature of their digital footprint.

“People make mistakes when they’re younger, but these don’t necessarily need to hinder them in the future. While many may think that celebrities or political figures are the only ones at risk of this happening, they’re not. Business people, influencers and respected people in an industry may have information online they’d prefer to keep private. The eradicators can ensure this is done without any evidence.”

*https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/number-of-employers-using-social-media-to-screen-candidates-at-all-time-high-finds-latest-careerbuilder-study-300474228.html

**https://www.elitesingles.com.au/em/from-single-to-couple/getting-ready-for-a-date

***https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43752344

We’ve partnered with three of our private investigators to create a guide for people who suspect their partner of being unfaithful. These private investigators have extensive experience in catching cheating partners and have been hired through Bark.com in the past for their skills.

We’ve noticed a 39% increase in ‘barks’ this summer, the majority of which are looking for PIs to investigate a potentially cheating spouse.

Studies have shown that 1 in 5 British adults say they’ve had an affair*. Another study found that 25.4% of married men and 18.3% of married women and have cheated on their current partners at least once and that most affairs start in the workplace – 38.8% of women have an affair with a work colleague in comparison to 30.7% of men**.

Signs that your partner may be cheating:

1. Being protective of phone, social media or email: This highlights that there’s something to hide on these devices. They may also take their phone to the bathroom, keep it on silent or always keep it face down. Any calls are taken in a different room.
2. Dramatic change in sex drive: This could mean that there’s more or less sex in the relationship. The partner could feel guilty for cheating, so wants to cover it up by initiating or avoiding sex because they’re getting it elsewhere.
3. Decline in communication: This could be little things, such as what happened in their day that they used to share and no longer do, or big things like refusing to discuss the future.
4. New clothes and underwear: If new clothes and/or underwear have been purchased, which is unusual in the relationship, it may be that they are wearing it for someone else and making more of an effort.
5. Change in personality: A change in personality is a big sign of infidelity, it could be that they’re being more secretive, more argumentative and less affectionate. Sometimes it’s as a result of guilt, but it could also be the influence of the person they’re cheating with rubbing off on them.
6. Working out more: If they suddenly join a gym or increase the amount of times they go, it could be a sign they’re cheating. Taking more pride in their appearance is one thing, but a big shift could indicate it’s because they have someone else to impress, not just you or themselves.
7. Uninterested in family events: This reveals that the partner doesn’t want to be around family. It could be that this is due to them not caring anymore, feeling guilty, or that they don’t see a future with you so it’s not worth the effort.
8. Deflecting once confronted about infidelity: Do they accuse you of cheating at the same time you bring up your concerns? This shows that they are feeling guilty and want to move the attention from themselves as quickly as possible.
9. Fights about money: Money can be a difficult subject within any relationship, but increased fights about finances may be exacerbated thanks to guilty feelings, and the fact they’re spending more dating two people.
10. They’re not jealous: A lack of interest in a partner and what they’re doing is a sign they don’t care anymore.

What you should do if you’re suspicious:

1. Have real evidence but respect their privacy – you can’t take back the accusation once you’ve made it, so it’s best to be as sure as possible
2. Think about what you’re going to say to your partner beforehand
3. Think about what you want to happen if it’s true and if it’s not true
4. Calmly confront your partner and discuss why you suspect they’re cheating
5. Calmly discuss what you should do next in your relationship

You can hire your own private investigator here.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“The 39% increase in PIs that we’ve seen is unusual, as it’s a high increase over a short space of time which is why we looked into it.

“We have a multitude of PIs on our site who have the expertise and knowledge to recognise warning signs for people to be aware of in regards to cheating spouses and what to do next.

“We hope that by putting this guide together, people will be able to see the signs more clearly.”

ENDS

* https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/05/27/one-five-british-adults-admit-affair/

** https://www.yourtango.com/experts/miss-rosie-freeman-jones/uks-largest-survey-infidelity

 

Mental health has been in the news agenda a lot recently. With celebrities and journalists talking openly about it, the subject has become less taboo.

This got us thinking about whether the underfunded and stretched public mental health service has had an impact on demand for private mental health services. We analysed job request data for private counselors over the last two years, and discovered that demand has increased by 65%!

This is a huge increase, and it makes private counselling services the third fastest-growing category on Bark.com.

To find out why people are opting for private rather than NHS, we surveyed 2,129 counseling clients who booked through Bark.com and the results were eye-opening.

The most common conditions requiring treatment from a private counsellor through Bark.com are depression and anxiety, followed by eating disorders and then stress. Two thirds (65%) of the patients who booked a counsellor through Bark.com are women and more than half (55%) are between the age of 18 and 35 years old.

We analysed the data by region and found that London received the most ‘barks’ for counselling services, followed by Birmingham and then Liverpool. We also noted a 34% increase in demand for online counselling, where sessions are carried out over Skype or FaceTime.

77% of respondents said they booked a private mental healthcare professional because NHS mental health waiting lists are too long. 30% said they didn’t trust the service the NHS provides and 17% said they always book health services privately.

We spoke to one of our counselors to get some insight and this is what he said.

“I’ve treated hundreds of patients for mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, OCD and insomnia in my 30 year career. I used to work in the NHS a long time ago but left because I became disillusioned with the way it was being ran. Mental health has always been a ‘taboo’ subject, and consequently underserviced sector within medicine. I think because you can’t see physical illness people don’t consider it an illness, which is ludicrous.

“Within the last 10 years I have noticed a real increase in young people requesting my counseling. Before that the majority of my patients were 40+ suffering from severe stress and depression associated with work and lifestyle. I have to say it’s concerning. I often wonder whether young people have always suffered with mental health or whether this is a modern problem. From my experience it’s the latter, and we need to address it quickly.”

You can book a counselor in your local area here.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com said,

“We hadn’t anticipated just how many people are booking private counsellors through the site. It’s become one of the most in demand services on Bark.com now. This is great for counsellors on our site, but I think it shines a light on how the NHS mental health service is failing people when they need it.

“There will be thousands of people in the UK that can’t afford to pay privately for help. Hopefully our data will show the impact poor funding for NHS mental health services is having.”

We’ve recently revealed that UK pet owners spend a total of £57 billion on their pets every year, excluding food and medical costs.

Through analysing our internal data, we discovered that on average UK pet owners spend £3,304.12 on dog walking, training, pet sitting and grooming every year.

There are 66.5 million people in the UK and 26% own a dog*, meaning that 17 million people in the UK are dog owners. With the average salary in the UK being £27,271 per annum**, it works out that on average UK pet owners spend 12.11% of their salaries on these services every year.

Top 10 cheapest places per session for dog training are:

1. Kirklees, Calderdale, Bradford, Rochdale, Gosport – £25
2. Lancaster – £30
3. Charnwood – £38
4. Weymouth and Portland – £40
5. Woking, Guildford, Mole Valley, Waverley, East Hampshire, Elmbridge, Hart, Rushmoor, St Albans – £45
6. Oxford – £48
7. Fareham – £50
8. Hertsmere – £50
9. Havant – £57
10. Surrey – £60

To hire a dog trainer in your area, click here.

Top 10 cheapest places for dog walking per hour are:

1. Dumfries and Galloway – £3
2. Hartlepool – £7.50
3. Angus – £8
4. Inverclyde, Stafford, Ryedale, Gosport – £8
5. East Renfoewshire – £8.33
6. Preston, Fylde – £8.50
7. Barnsley, Charnwood – £9
8. Torbay – £9.11
9. North Somerset – £9.13
10. Lancashire – £9.73

To hire a dog walker in your area, click here.

Top 10 cheapest places for pet sitting per hour are:

1. Salford – £4
2. Surrey Heath – £7
3. Trafford – £8
4. Walsall – £8.50
5. Havant, Reigate and Banstead – £10
6. Leeds – £11.33
7. Wakefield – £12
8. North Lincolnshire – £14.17
9. Portsmouth – £14.33
10. Harrogate – £15

To hire a pet sitter in your area, click here.

Top 10 cheapest places for dog grooming per hour are:

1. Flintshire – £15
2. Kingston-upon-Thames – £17.50
3. Stoke-on-Trent – £23.67
4. Exeter, Cotswald, North Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, St Edmundsbury, Braintree – £25
5. Maldon – £25.25
6. Suffolk – £25.40
7. Lincolnshire – £26.25
8. Cheshire East – £27.50
9. Redbridge – £29
10. Canterbury, West Sussex, Bracknell Forest, Dover – £30

To hire a dog groomer in your area, click here.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“Pet services are extremely popular on our site. There’s always been a buzzing community of pet enthusiasts buying and selling services, which shows just how much this country loves their dogs!

“It’s quite surprising when you see the percentage of the average salary that is spent on pet services, but this is also dependant on location and salary, so you might spend less or even more than the national average dog owner.”

* https://www.statista.com/statistics/308229/estimated-pet-population-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

** https://www.lsbf.org.uk/blog/news/education-careers/ons-figures-reveal-average-pay-jobs-in-uk/109969

Ever been getting ready to go on holiday on realised you haven’t sorted where the dog’s staying? Or been worried about posting photos whilst you’re away because you’re worried about getting burgled? Well having someone house sit for you is the perfect way to not have to worry about anything whilst you’re away – and Pro House Sitting is a service which has been on the up for a while.

We’ve been tracking our Pro House Sitting service since this time last year, and our findings have revealed that demand for ‘Professional House Sitters’ has increased by 340% since June 2017, and  that some Pro Sitters are currently earning more than £200 a day – just for living in other peoples’ houses.

We also found that Cheshire and London are the most in-demand places in the UK, and to meet demand we’re now looking for members of the public who’d like to become a ‘Professional House Sitter’ in order to meet demand.

If you’d like to get paid to live in other peoples’ houses, you can sign up here.

When speaking to our ‘Pro House Sitters’, we also found that more than a third (34%) said they house sit full time, and don’t have place of their own, and that more than half (57%) of our house sitters who don’t have their own place, also don’t have a job outside of Professional House Sitting.

Research from Santander Mortgages has revealed that it is now cheaper to buy a house than rent one in every area of the UK, with homeowners set to save £2,268 a year, on average*. When speaking to people who had hired a house sitter through the site, we also found that more than three quarters (77%) of respondents said that fear of burglary was their main reason for doing so.

More than half (61%) of respondents also said not wanting to take their pet out of its home environment as a reason for hiring a Pro House Sitter.

People looking to become a ‘Pro House Sitter’ will need to undergo comprehensive background checks and must not have any previous or unspent criminal convictions. The job will involve travelling around the UK, dependent on demand, and looking after peoples’ homes whilst they’re away.

Responsibilities for a ‘Pro House Sitter’ can include; feeding and taking care of pets, recording television programmes, monitoring CCTV from security cameras, and cleaning. However, because of the nature of Bark.com and how it works every job will be different and involve alternative responsibilities.

For people looking to employ a ‘Pro House Sitter’ they will need to answer a number of questions relating to their location, length of leave, and talk about any special requirements. Once a homeowner has selected a ‘Pro House Sitter’, Bark.com recommends they meet them at least once before they leave, in order to exchange keys and run through any additional details for the stay.

If you fancy trying out the service, you can hire a house sitter here.

It’s expected that ‘Pro House Sitters’ will earn upwards of £50 a day, based on our findings, however as with all Bark.com professionals, prices are up to them, and some are currently earning upwards of £200 a day.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“Housesitting tends to be something that relatives and friends do when someone’s on holiday. However, in recent years there’s been an upward trend in people looking elsewhere for the service, and for people without close family or friends, finding a house sitter can be extremely difficult.

“The housing market is ever-changing, and just recently Santander Mortgages revealed that it is actually cheaper to buy a house than rent in every area in the UK, so it’s no wonder people are looking for alternative ways to live.

“There are thousands of people in the UK who want to see more places and travel but don’t have the time or money – but hopefully our service helps fix both of those problems.”

 

We have partnered with almost 50 of our music, dance and singing tutors to offer free tuition to homeless people, so they can learn a skill and busk for money!

We have tutors signed up to the scheme from across the UK, so homeless people can learn a variety of entertainment skills that gives them the capabilities to successfully busk for money rather than beg.

You can nominate homeless people or a homeless shelter in your area who you want to learn how to busk here.

More than 300,000 people in Britain were officially recorded as homeless or living in inadequate homes in 2017 according to figures from government data and homeless charity Shelter. This is the equivalent to one in every 200th person sleeping rough or accommodated in temporary housing, bed and breakfast rooms, or hostels – an increase of 13,000 from 2016. *

We already have tutors signed up to the scheme in most of the UK’s major cities, however if you are a music teacher who wants to be part of the scheme you can sign up here.

Tutors must be willing to give up at least one hour a week of their time to teach a homeless person. In return for their time, we will give them 20 free credits to use on the site.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“The homeless crisis in Britain is a growing problem and many people feel there isn’t they can do to help stop it. We hope by bringing in this initiative we can help homeless people learn new skills so they can busk instead of beg, with the intention people will be more generous.

“We have some fantastic tutors onsite who want to gift their services to those in need. Hopefully we’ll get even more signed up, so we can help educate the growing homeless population in the UK!”

We’re recruiting a member of the public to put on five stone in 3 months then lose it in 3 months and we will pay you £10,000 to do it!

We’ve launched this to showcase that losing a considerable amount of weight is possible in a short space of time, after the UK was revealed as the most overweight country in Western Europe. It might seem like an unrealistic venture, but we’ve partnered with our top personal trainers to help you achieve this goal.

Candidates need to be 18 years old or older and able to attend PT sessions at least five times a week. You must be willing to do whatever it takes and capable of completing all types of activities, such as cycling, swimming and boxing.

You will be required to eat an extra 3,500 calories a day approximately in the three month ‘weight gain’ period. However, this will be dependent on your body type, height, gender and age, which will be assessed at the start. The process will be completed in a safe manner under the supervision of your GP and personal trainer.

The successful candidate will be required to have a check-up at their doctors prior to putting on weight to ensure they are healthy to do so. If your GP does not agree you are physically or emotionally fit to take on this challenge, we have the right to terminate the contract immediately.

A 5% advance of the £10,000 will be given to the selected applicant at the start of the process and will receive the remaining balance once they’ve successfully lost the weight at the end of the six months.

If you’d like the chance to take on this challenge and earn some extra cash, please tell us a little bit about yourself and why you’d like to be involved by filling in a form here.

Personal trainers who are interested in taking part in the challenge can register as a Bark.com service provider here, however their participation is dependent on the successful candidate’s location.  

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“We have some incredible personal trainers onsite and we hope this project will demonstrate how attainable losing a large amount of weight is with the right help and support.

“This is a life changing opportunity for someone to gain invaluable knowledge, get fit and healthy and earn a considerable amount of extra cash!”

Want to watch all of the World Cup games, but can’t get the time off work? Well we’ve just launched the perfect service for you!

We’re giving members of the public the chance to hire freelance professionals to take over their job, whilst they watch this year’s World Cup matches. We’re launching it across the UK, and we expect professionals will be charging from around £15 an hour.

You can book your World Cup Worker here.

The service, which will be available nationwide, lets people watch matches without having to use up their precious holiday days. Workers will be available across a number of sectors, including data input and analysis, where work can be outsourced remotely.

Our ‘World Cup Worker’ service will be available from Thursday 14th June, when Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the first round of the tournament.

If you’d like to book a World Cup Worker, you’ll have to answer a few questions, such as; how many matches you want covered, what profession you work in, if the job can be done remotely, and which games you’d like to watch during the Tournament.

Pro World Cup Workers can expect to earn around £15p/h, however as with all Bark.com professionals, they can set their own rates.

Our service is primarily aimed at remote and freelance working, however it is open to all sectors and job roles.

Once a customer has selected a service provider to fulfil their duties at work, World Cup Workers will be expected to set up a physical or virtual meeting with them, to establish exactly what the work will entail and run through any additional points not mentioned in the original hiring request.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“The World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and every four years millions of people in the UK sit down to watch it. However, for some people out there finding the time to watch the games can be almost impossible, especially when they kick off during work hours.

“On the other hand you have people who couldn’t care less about football and the World Cup. So, we thought why not combine the two groups and create a service that lets people watch matches, whilst someone else earns money doing their job.

“I think it’s going to be interesting to see what professions and trades people outsource for the tournament.”

Freelance workers looking to become a ‘World Cup Worker’ can apply here.

Despite its popularity, we know that football isn’t for everyone, and with the World Cup just around the corner some aren’t going to be as excited as others. That’s why we’re giving members of the public the chance to hire freelance professionals to take over their job, whilst they watch this year’s matches.

The service, which will be available nationwide, lets some people watch matches without having to use up their precious holiday days, and allows others to earn whilst the games are on. We’re recruiting for workers across a number of sectors where work can be outsourced remotely.

Our ‘World Cup Worker’ service will be available from Thursday 14th June, when Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the first round of the tournament.

Pro World Cup Workers can expect to earn around £15p/h, however as with all Bark.com professionals, they can set their own rates. Our service is primarily aimed at remote and freelance working, however it is open to all sectors and job roles.

Once a customer has selected a service provider to fulfil their duties at work, World Cup Workers will be expected to set up a physical or virtual meeting with them, to establish exactly what the work will entail and run through any additional points not mentioned in the original hiring request.

To be eligible as a ‘World Cup Worker’ you’ll be required to provide proof of your profession, as well as any relevant experience. Customers may ask you for additional evidence, such as qualification certificates and work history. You must also be willing to have a full background check, state any current or previous criminal convictions and be able to work remotely.

As a World Cup Worker, you’ll need to fill in at work for a member of the public, for up to 105 minutes of each chosen football match to cover both halves of the game and half time. We recommend that the service is primarily aimed at remote and freelance working, however it is open to all sectors and job roles.

If you think this sounds like the job for you, please sign up here.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com, said,

“The World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and every four years millions of people in the UK sit down to watch it. However, for some people out there finding the time to watch the games can be almost impossible, especially when they kick off during work hours.

“On the other hand you have people who couldn’t care less about football and the World Cup. So, we thought why not combine the two groups and create a service that lets people watch matches, whilst someone else earns money doing their job.

“I think it’s going to be interesting to see what professions and trades people outsource for the tournament.”

Members of the public can request a professional ‘World Cup Worker’ here.