Discord - A Guide For Parents
In our continuing series of posts about e-safety, we’ve put together a guide on Discord.
Discord is a voice and text chat app that’s popular with gamers. It can be used to talk to other players while playing games. Or you can swap tips and advice with other players in game-specific servers (similar to online forums). Some games, like Fortnite and PUBG, have official verified Discords for fans to talk about the game. It has broadened from gamers-only to a social networking site for communities of all types, including those with non-gaming interests like anime, TV series, music, and more. It can also be an easy-to-use group-chatting tool for friends.
How old should you be to use Discord?
Discord requires that users be at least 13 years old, although they do not verify users’ age upon sign-up. Common Sense Media also recommends Discord users be at least 13 due to its open chat. Because it’s all user-generated, there’s plenty of inappropriate content, like swearing and graphic language and images (though it’s entirely possible to belong to a group that forbids these). Discord also has “NSFW” channels and servers that require users to be 18 or older to join (but it’s easy to click through the verification).
What are servers on Discord?
Servers are the main communities on Discord, often focused on a single game or topic. Anyone on the app can create a server upon sign-up. There are private servers that require an invitation to join as well as public servers that anyone can take part in. Servers are broken up into text channels and voice channels, and some have bots (computer programs that mimic human interaction) that do automatic moderation, welcoming, and community management. Discord doesn’t have an in-app way to search for servers unless you’ve already joined them, so users have to be invited directly or else find out about them from other sources, like friends or social media.
Is Discord safe?
With the right privacy settings and monitoring, it’s easy to use Discord safely. However, there’s always a risk when it comes to sites and apps with open chat. The safest way to use Discord is to only accept friend requests and participate in private servers with people you already know. Although it’s rare, there have been a handful of cases where predators have targeted kids by using Discord’s public servers to send direct messages (DMs). Even though most server moderators (and other users) are often quick to police this kind of behavior, kids and parents should know how to recognise and deal with online predators.
How is Discord related to Fortnite and Pokémon Go?
Fortnite and Pokémon Go are two games with particularly big followings on Discord, especially for tweens and teens. There are plenty of public servers dedicated to those games but also tons of private servers that friends use to chat while they play together. For example, a squad on Fortnite could create a private server on Discord to chat and strategize together in order to avoid the public chat on Fortnite itself. Discord also allows an in-game “overlay” for Fortnite and other PC games, so gamers can use Discord to chat directly within those games (instead of having the app open in the background or using the in-game chat).
Are there privacy settings for Discord?
Discord has a wide array of privacy and safety settings that allow users to control who has the ability to send them direct messages or add them as a friend. Its “Safe Direct Messaging” feature can automatically scan and delete direct messages containing explicit content (although this isn’t foolproof, and it doesn’t apply outside of DMs). Discord also lets its users decide whether the app can collect and use their data for customization or analytics purposes, which is a nice change of pace from other social apps that provide no insight or control over your data. To view and change your privacy settings, select the “User Settings” gear icon by your username, then choose the “Privacy & Safety” menu item.
Are there parental controls for Discord?
At this time, Discord doesn’t offer parental controls, so there’s no way for parents to restrict content or password-protect the privacy settings within the app. Discord have created their own Parent’s Guide. In it they give three recommendations to make your teen’s account is as safe as possible:
- Choose a secure, strong password
- Set who can send you direct messages and friend requests
- Block inappropriate content
Discuss these with tips with your child and go through the steps together to make sure you both understand how to stay safe:
https://blog.discordapp.com/parents-guide-to-discord-c77d91793e9c
How does Discord chat work?
Each server on Discord has both text and voice channels. Text channels allow people to type messages to each other, while voice channels let people use the microphone and speakers on their device to talk to each other. Users can directly invite friends to a specific chat channel, or you can join a channel after being invited to a server. Some channels have limits on how many people can join, which are set by the server owners. Server owners can also set their own rules for what is or isn’t allowed (for example, swearing or hate speech) and block from chat users who break the rules.
Can you share images or video on Discord?
You can share images, video, and GIFs on Discord either in text channels or direct messages (voice channels are audio only). Discord also allows for video chat and screen sharing in direct messages.
What to watch out for on the Discord
The platform is built for adults
As with any social network designed for adults, only children of appropriate age should use it and then with considerable caution. The main focus of most concern is that chat, groups and servers will offer mature conversations and a mix of ages. Even though the servers are set up for younger interests too, it will likely have adults participating too.
Most conversations are private and allow live video and location tracking (strictly opt-in)
Most conversations in Discord are private to the group so it’s less open and visible than other social networks. Along with this, you can type, talk, listen and watch live video of other users. There is also a ‘Nearby’ feature that allows you to add friends who have the location features on their device turned on that are physically near.
Is Discord safe for your child?
Discord is a beneficial way to connect with other people if they are the right age to use it and have the proper support and context from parents and carers. Younger children would be better served by using social apps that are designed specifically for them, like YouTube Kids and Pop Jam.
You can apply settings in the Discord app, but these are not password protected. In addition, you can also use the settings on your mobile device or computer to further limit interactions and location-based information.
This information was taken from these useful links:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-discord
https://www.net-aware.org.uk/networks/discord/
https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/discord-a-parents-guide/
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides/what-parents-need-to-know-about-discord