Discord app reviews: a guide for parents
Welcome to our Discord app review for parents. Continue reading or find the directory on the right:
If you’ve never heard of Discord before, you’re not alone.
Despite being launched only 4 years ago, the app already has over 250 million registered users. Most of them are gamers.
If your kids are gamers, chances are they’re using Discord.
But what is it? If it’s so popular, how come I haven’t heard of it?
In this Discord app review, we’ll discuss these questions and more.
We’ll also discuss how to manage the amount of time your kids spend on the app and make sure they follow your guidelines.
Let’s get started.
What is Discord?
Discord is a free voice and text communication app that works on virtually all platforms.
The vast majority of users play video games, and Discord is starting to build its own platform to offer gamers more rewards by partnering with game makers.
On Discord, users can create so-called servers, which can only be accessed through a specific invitation link.
Within that server, people are free to communicate via text or voice channels dedicated to different purposes.
For example, someone might make a server based on their favorite game.
Inside the server might have a general text channel, a place dedicated to talking about the game, an area where users can discuss their favorite anime, or even an area to post emoticons.
On top of that, they will also include some voice channels to make it easier to communicate and share ideas.
Discordant App Reviews
All of these channels can be locked to certain members of the server, depending on their rank, and moderators will be able to keep a close eye on the type of content being posted.
Discord is very easy to use, available everywhere, and provides a much needed service to gamers around the world.
No wonder it’s so popular!
What do parents need to know?
In this section, we’ll give a brief overview of the main elements you should be aware of to be able to ensure your child’s safety on the app.
Disharmony’s Parent Safety Profile
Disharmony plays an important role in your child’s social life
Imagine if you were able to instantly connect, chat and share with all your friends at all times. Now imagine that you are not only limited to your friends but you can easily communicate with anyone who is interested in all your hobbies. So if you are trying to limit your child’s screen time by restricting gaming, you need to consider their reaction to having their social life taken away.
Discordant video chats
Age restrictions are bad.
Discord states that their app is only available to users aged 13 and up, and that you must verify your age if you want to view adult content. However, as with most such services, a simple checkbox bypasses any barriers that may exist. This leads nicely into our next point.
Discord is home to tons of adult content
First of all, we’re not saying that your child will stumble upon pornographic content as soon as he or she downloads the app. The problem is that tons of servers contain NSFW (not safe for work) channels for people to share graphic images and videos. This is not something you’ll find on most popular servers like Fortnite, PUBG, or Anime. But once you delve into more niche topics, it’s easy to find.
See what games your kids are playing
As long as your child hasn’t disabled it in their settings, all their friends and servers can see their current activity. It might say “currently playing Fortnite” or “listening to Spotify”. So if you and your child are friends on Discord (which we highly recommend), you can monitor their activity more easily.