A Parent's Guide to Discord
As more teens turn to digital platforms to connect, Discord has become a central hub for communication. But is it safe for kids?
What is Discord?
Discord is a communication platform offering text, voice, and video chat. It was originally designed for gamers but now serves communities of all kinds. Users can join or create “servers” organized by topics, hobbies, or friend groups.
Popularity Among Kids
Discord has over 150 million monthly active users and is especially popular among pre-teens and teens for chatting during games, studying together, or socializing.
Is Discord Safe for Kids?
Legally, discord’s minimum age requirement is 13, but many children younger than this bypass this rule, and Discord does not have a way to verify whether a user is telling the truth about their age, which means that users use it at their own risk. While it can be safe when used among friends in private servers, its openness to the public makes it unsuitable for young children.
In Kigumi interviews of teens globally in 2024, we heard several stories from teens who used Discord for academic or social purposes and who had encountered severe doxxing and cyberbullying on the platform. In all these stories, the teens had reported the doxxing and inappropriate speech to the Discord help desk, but as of the time this article’s writing none of them had received responses or acknowledgement.
Cybersafety Features
Officially, Discord offers various safety features including:
Custom privacy settings to restrict who can message or friend your child.
Content filters to automatically delete explicit content.
Moderation tools within servers. However, these settings must be properly configured, and the platform does not offer parental controls akin to platforms like Roblox or Minecraft.
Potential Risks
Contact: Strangers can message users if privacy settings aren’t restricted.
Conduct: Risk of cyberbullying, inappropriate content, or peer pressure.
Content: Some servers may host NSFW material or adult conversations.
Talking to Your Child
Engage your child in conversations about digital citizenship. Encourage them to use private servers with friends they know and to block/report anyone who makes them uncomfortable. Discuss scenarios like what to do if someone sends an inappropriate message or link.
