As a parent or carer, you’ve probably heard of Discord – it’s one of the most popular apps among teens and young adults right now. Whether your child is into gaming, chatting with friends, or joining communities based on their interests, Discord offers a place for all of this and more.
Like any online platform, it’s important to understand how it works and what potential risks it may pose. In this blog post, we’ll break down what Discord is, its benefits and risks, and most importantly, how you can help keep your child safe while using it. Let’s dive in!
What is Discord?
Discord is a free app that allows users to create or join “servers” (groups) for real-time text, voice, and video communication.
Who uses Discord?
While anyone can use Discord, it is particularly popular among gamers, content creators, and community groups who share common interests.
How does Discord work?
- Servers can cover topics such as video games, art, hobbies, or educational subjects. They can be public or private, and each can have multiple channels for text, voice, or video chats for users to discuss the topics.
- Servers assign roles to users, defining their permissions and access levels.
- Discord's Terms of Service states that users must be at least 13 years old to create an account. Accounts of users under 13 may be permanently banned if discovered.
Pros and cons of Discord
Pros:
- Communication hub: It provides a space for friends and communities to stay connected easily and work on collaborative projects.
- Customisation and control: Parents and server administrators can set up various safety features, such as filtering explicit content, disabling direct messages, and controlling who can join servers.
- Free: The core features of Discord are completely free to use.
Cons:
- Malware and scams: Hackers can spread links to malicious software, especially in larger, public servers where moderation is challenging. Public servers are at higher risk because anyone can join without admin approval.
- Explicit content: Some servers may contain explicit images and videos, even if not tagged with a NSFW (not safe for work) warning.
- Cyberbullying and harassment: These issues are common on Discord, similar to other social media platforms where strangers are able to communicate without having to use their real names.
Protecting your teen on Discord
1. Setting up safety features on Discord
- Filter explicit content: Access the “Privacy & Safety” tab in your child’s Discord profile. Turn on Safe Direct Messaging, which scans DMs for explicit content.
- Disable direct messages: Turn off direct messaging or restrict it to friends only to prevent unwanted interactions.
- Block unknown users: Set your child's account to block messages from anyone they’re not already friends with.
- Enable two-factor authentication: Help your child set up 2FA for extra security to ensure their account is protected from hackers.
- Use Family Center: This feature of Discord allows parents to connect with their child’s account and see which servers their child has joined and who their friends are, without accessing the content of their messages.
2. Teach your child online safety skills
- Encourage them to ignore friend requests from strangers.
- Teach them to avoid large public servers to reduce exposure to harmful content. Encourage them to join smaller, private servers with friends instead of strangers. You can even create a server for them and invite trusted friends.
- Teach them to avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from anyone, even trusted friends.
- Remind them never to share personal details (location, phone number, age, etc.) online. Hackers can use this information to steal identities, so it’s essential to keep this information private.
3. Monitor usage and behaviour
- Check in regularly: Talk to your teen about their experiences on Discord. Ask them about the people they interact with and the servers they join.
- Set screen time limits: Consider limiting your teen's screen time to set boundaries on their usage of Discord.
4. Open communication
Maintain open communication with your child about their online experiences and encourage them to come to you for any issues or concerns they may have.
If you are concerned about a child or young person being bullied, please seek help. Speak to a trusted GP, school wellbeing staff, or a helpline such as:
Dolly’s Dream Support Line 0488 881 033
Parentline in your state or territory
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Headspace 1800 650 890
Lifeline 13 11 14
Shareable poster
