Parents' Guide to

Discord

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Voice and video chat; slick features, some mature content.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Mac , Android , Windows app Free Social Networking
Discord Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Discord App: Screenshot #1
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Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 164 parent reviews

fordF150ownerandloverpoggers
fordF150ownerandloverpoggers Adult
June 16, 2021
age 10+

Its fine, everyone is overreacting.

As long as: A: you are a good parent B: you have a good child C: They have good friends D: they use an alias online you are fine. This website uses "servers" which are their version of group chats, and you have to click on an invite link that somebody else sent you to join one. Or, if the server is public (most are), it CANT have any NSFW channels. this can only be bypassed if somebody makes their own server and deliberately adds NSFW marked channels, in which EVERY POST has to censored, and you have to click to uncensor. Also, you cant bypass this if your under 18. Nothing about your kids personal life will be shown to others, unless your kid shows it to others. If your kid is around puberty age, please just accept that they have seen porn and don't take away discord from them, its not discords fault. Your kid was curious and found it online. They had to go searching far and wide to find it anywhere on discord.
safe101yt
safe101yt Parent of 11-year-old
August 5, 2022
age 10+

This is a great app for tweens/teens ages 10-13+

It is a great site and is used for communication between gamers my 9 yearold son uses it evryday to talk with this friends when hes playing a game also most of these reviews made my adults are bad they are about the app but not the stuff that helps parents like is it safe or does it have predictors. while discord does have predictors they are extremely rare 2/100 and most of the people are kids or teen's i let my kid use it for hanging out with his friends. There is content that people share in the chats thats bad but the admins or mods take it down before they see it.There is rarely swear words but other then that its a great app i would recommend it to ages 11-12+
See all 164 parent reviews

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What’s It About?

DISCORD is an app designed to help users talk to each other in real time. Users can log in and enter a group chat with one or more people. Connecting with friends involves joining an existing topic-based server or sending an email invitation. Using the Nearby feature when adding friends (and with location features turned on), you can find friends who are close to you. You can also block users and avoid content you don't want to see. Family Center is a feature that allows parents and caregivers to monitor their kids' activity on the app once they create an account of their own and link it to their child's account. Discord was originally designed for gamers to use to talk as they play -- and it's well-suited for that. It's since been opened up to host other communities, though, as well: Currently, groups exist that involve a variety of topics. There's also a feature called Student Hubs that allows students to sign up with their school email address and be connected to a private server with only people from their school. Here they can form study groups and also create servers based on specific interests (chess, volunteering, video games, etc.) that are much like clubs at school.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (164 ):
Kids say (482 ):

While this chat tool was originally gaming-focused -- built for gamers, by gamers -- in 2020, the developers announced it was repositioning itself as a place for communities involving other subject matter. Discord allows people to create a chat server and connect with a group of people. In addition to gaming fans, there are communities that focus on movies, music, and numerous other topics. Users can create a group for family members, fans of a TV show, or another subject, and appoint a moderator and administrator. There are desktop app versions of the platform for Windows and Macs, and iOS and Android apps are available for mobile devices. There's also a web browser version. Discord is free to use. You can also sign up for Discord Nitro, the premium subscription tier ($9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year) that offers benefits such as bigger upload size limits, HD video for streaming and screen-sharing, animated avatars, and custom emojis.

While Discord's intention to remain free and constantly improve its available functionalities is impressive, it's still a social network that's primarily meant for adults. Though the developers are committed to fostering a positive online space, there have been issues with abusive language and unkind behavior. Used wisely and sparingly, Discord may be a fit for teens. A closed network of people, for instance, would likely be a safer option than one of the public groups. With thoughtful limits set by parents and an ongoing dialogue about ways it would be acceptable to use the app, it could be used as a tool to help teens who are interested in gaming -- and other specific topics -- talk with their friends in real time. At least some guidance and supervision would likely be a good idea, though.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about your rules for messaging and social networking. How old do your kids have to be to use social networks like Discord? What are your family's rules about devices and when they're appropriate to use?

  • What's OK to share on social media, and what's off-limits? Check out our parent guide for privacy and internet safety to get advice and good conversation starters for your kids.

  • Families can talk about setting up the Family Center settings on Discord so parents can monitor their kids' usage. Can you create a social media contract between parents and kids that details best practices and safety rules for how kids use Discord? This is a great activity for kids and their trusted adults to do together so that the agreement is mutual and both feel like it's a fair compromise.

App Details

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