By Kayla DeKraker
With millions of teens using Discord to chat, play and connect, many parents are wondering is the platform safe for kids?
Though Discord started as a gamer-friendly communication tool, its design and structure presents numerous risks parents should understand.
“I sometimes think of Discord as being a little more similar to Reddit or Pinterest, where, in theory, you’re there more for activities and learning and engaging around those activities, versus a more purely social platform like Instagram or Facebook,” explained Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, a professor and researcher at the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
Just like any social media platform, the biggest concern for parents is not knowing who their children are interacting with on Discord. “The functionality that allows users to interact with each other without any level of real identification or protection is worrisome on any platform,” Moreno added.
Related: Here’s One Simple Way to Improve Your Online Safety and Privacy
The cyberbullying and inappropriate content that proliferates on Discord should also send up a red flag for moms and dads. Moreno notes that unfortunately regardless of which app kids use, it’s hard to keep children safe online.
“We used to have this idea, early in the days of the internet, that we could prevent kids from getting exposed to harmful content,” she said. “I think we’ve all sort of societally understood that there’s just so much out there, and your child is going to be exposed to something. It could be something that is inaccurate, or something that’s scary, creepy or gross.”
New Jersey sued Discord earlier this year for its lack of child safety features.
According to CNBC, the lawsuit accused the platform of “misleading children and parents from New Jersey about safety features, obscuring the risks children face on the platform and failing to enforce its minimum age requirement.”
Lawyers in the case said, “Discord’s strategy of employing difficult to navigate and ambiguous safety settings to lull parents and children into a false sense of safety, when Discord knew well that children on the Application were being targeted and exploited, are unconscionable and/or abusive commercial acts or practices.”
Movieguide® recently shared some tips that can keep children safe online:
- “When they interact with others online, make sure they can recognize odd or suspicious behavior and accounts and know how to report them.”
- “Make sure that they know they are never obligated to respond to online contact. If something feels off, they shouldn’t be afraid to say, ‘no.’”
- “Usernames can indirectly reveal too much. It’s important that they know not to reveal names, birthdates or other details when they create social media and gaming accounts.”
As with any social media platform, it is vital that parents take charge of their children’s Discord use or even opt to not let their kids have it.
Read Next: Erin Napier Says Young People are ‘Struggling to Communicate’ Due to Social Media Use
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