What Parents Should Know About Discord? Among online communities, Discord is a popular platform for connecting people with similar interests, fostering collaboration, and facilitating seamless communication.
Initially created for gamers, Discord has evolved to encompass a diverse range of groups, including study groups and art enthusiasts.
When their children are active on Discord, it’s important for parents to understand its nuances and potential risks, since this vibrant digital space offers numerous opportunities for engagement and learning.
Here are some tips for ensuring a positive and secure experience for their kids with Discord, including its features, safety measures, and safety measures.
It is time for parents to navigate this virtual world responsibly and learn how to use Discord. # What Parents Should Know About Discord
Unlike most social media apps, Discord also has a 13-year-old age restriction. It is best to avoid this app for your child if he or she is under the age of 13.
Discord does not verify the user’s age during sign-up. Moreover, parents need to know that Discord is a platform that is user-generated, meaning its content is created by its users.
Especially if the minor joins servers with adult members, they may be exposed to inappropriate content. # What Parents Should Know About Discord
How Does Discord Work?
In Discord, users create servers in a particular niche, such as gaming or art, and invite other members to join them.
Discord is a VoIP app that uses community systems known as servers. There are many servers with a small private membership, but others have thousands of members.
The link to join a private server needs to be shared by the member or the server administrator. In contrast, joining a public server is relatively straightforward.
Explore public communities and websites with Discord or check online boards for invitation links posted by admins of public Discord servers.
When users join a server, they use voice or text communications to communicate with the other members.
The type of information shared on a server is usually determined by the community’s goal.
What Kind of Content Can Minor Consume on Discord?
Besides artists, tech groups, and music lovers, Discord now accommodates a wide range of communities.
The content your minor is exposed to depends on their interests and your ability to regulate them.
It is possible for your child to join several gaming communities on Discord, for instance, if he or she enjoys gaming. # What Kind of Content Can Minor Consume on Discord
Many have admins and moderators who supervise server content and make sure members do not share inappropriate content.
Unfortunately, this information cannot be protected from your child.
It’s also possible for parents to ensure that minors create and join their own private servers, even for niche areas like gaming.
Additionally, a majority of members on age-appropriate servers match their own age group, so harmful content won’t be encountered.
Minors can use Discord for more than just joining groups and communities. If they have friends and family on the app, they can communicate and share pictures and videos.
Parents should monitor their child’s Discord usage to ensure he/she is using it responsibly. # What Kind of Content Can Minor Consume on Discord
Discord has several fun communities like art, music, and memes that children can join.
Are there parental controls for Discord?
This Discord feature allows parents and caregivers to keep an eye on their kids’ activity on the app, including what servers and groups they have joined or participated in, who they have messaged, and how they’re making new friends.
Family Center supervision may be intimidating to adults (Discord’s site offers step-by-step instructions) and teens may be reluctant to use it. # Are there parental controls for Discord?
In addition, the feature isn’t so much a parental control setting as it is a usage tracker.
Although parents can see the usernames and server names their children are using, they do not have access to the content in chats or to what they are discussing in video or audio calls.
Users can look at their profiles to see who is behind their username, but they may not be able to determine if it is the user their teenager actually knows or not. # parental controls for Discord
In addition, there is no in-app time limit on how long teens can spend on the app, so this can be done through the iOS or Android settings.
When parents get information from the Family Center, it is a great tool for monitoring any changes in behavior or interactions that seem suspicious.
It also provides them with enough insight to ask informed questions and talk to their children if they are concerned. # parental controls for Discord
Parents and kids can converse about their digital habits using it, but it isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it protection measure.
Is Discord Safe for Minors?
It’s common for social media apps, such as Discord, to be infiltrated by online scammers and hackers, resulting in the possibility of encountering ill-intentioned people.
In order to mitigate these risks, Discord closely monitors users and servers and implements policies and community guidelines.
The servers also enforce their own rules and have administrators and moderators.
Predators will exploit your child’s vulnerability if they join public servers, so it’s best to caution them against doing so. Instead, have them create or join private servers that they can invite known friends and family members to join.
Furthermore, DMs sent from strangers should not be replied to, as predators can use DMs as bait to collect personal information to harm individuals.
Does Discord Have Privacy Settings?
There are several privacy settings in Discord, one of which parents can use to ensure that their minor children won’t receive direct messages containing explicit material.
It is called “Safe Direct Messaging.” It identifies and deletes DM messages with inappropriate content. Unfortunately, it applies only to DM messages, not channel or server content.
Additionally, parents can enable age-restricted commands from apps in direct messages and prevent direct messages from server members.
Discord’s privacy settings are designed to ensure minors are safe and free from harmful content and to ensure that private messages are not sent by members of servers you don’t know.
Furthermore, parents may wonder whether Discord has a parental control feature besides privacy settings.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Parents cannot password-protect the app or restrict access to content.
Other options include monitoring the servers your minor is a member of and ensuring they have policies that advocate banning members who violate those policies.
How old should you be to use Discord?
When creating an account with Discord, users must agree to their Terms of Service, which stipulates an age restriction of 13 years old. # How old should you be to use Discord
Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), online services that collect personal information from children under 13 are required to adhere to the minimum age requirement of 13.
When using online services, such as Discord, it is important to provide accurate information about a user’s age, due to the legal and safety implications of misrepresenting one’s age.
Discord or any other online platform should not be used by children who are under the age of 18.
Parents and guardians should be aware of this age requirement. # How old should you be to use Discord
Conclusion
Parents play a crucial role in guiding their children through online experiences like Discord as the digital landscape continues to shape the way we connect and communicate.
It is possible for parents to foster a safe and responsible virtual environment for their kids by understanding the platform’s features, potential risks, and safety measures.
Make sure your children understand the importance of privacy, digital etiquette, and responsible online behavior by encouraging open communication about their online activities.
Make sure they have a positive and constructive experience online by setting boundaries on screen time and monitoring their activity.
