What is Discord?

Age Rating 13+Discord is a free voice, video and text app used predominantly in the gaming world. It consists of a collation of servers – large and small – designed by the users of the app, each with their own rules designed by the individual who created them. The purpose is to build private, invitation-only groups. These can be as large or as small as the moderator of that Discord community decides to allow.

In Discord, it all depends on who you want to have in your particular server -they are all invite only. Some individuals chose to post links (invitations) to the general population via YouTube, or Steam – allowing for a large community to be created. Others chose to tightly control their Discord community, allowing only friends to be invited, and with strangers generally prohibited. As a Discord user, much of the experience had, is shaded by the behaviour and choices made by the individual.

· Choose who can direct message you

· Choose who can add you as a friend and who you want to add

· Choose what servers you want to join

· Choose whether or not to block another person.

· Choose whether or not control your access to a message containing explicit content.

· Choose who can join your server by sending invites.

· Choose security and verification levels on your server.

This is done by using the “Keep me Safe” option.

There is the option to control the app further by setting an explicit content filter that automatically deletes all message content explicit or inappropriate content. Located in the user settings, there is an option called Privacy and Safety.

Locate the "Keep Me Safe" box and check it.

Spend some time with your teenager working through the privacy and safety options to familiarise yourself and your child with them.

Discord is an app that makes no bones about the fact that adult content is present. But it is an app that will make your child take responsibility for their decisions. It is clear what the inappropriate servers are, and your child will have deliberately joined this server to be exposed to such content.

According to the rules of the app, any content that contains R+18 has a channel that to access means you must declare you are 18+ and therefore safe to view the material. What gave Discord a really bad reputation For reasons unknown, Discord prior to 2017 became something of a haven for the alt–right.

The anonymity and privacy for communications allowed the app to be used to develop a huge white nationalist rally in Charlottesville US in 2017. Since then, the app has been banning and shutting down ALL account with racist remarks – and this has broken the tide of racial intolerance that was prevalent on the app.

The app encourages users to screenshot and report any content that might be considered abusive to abuse@discordapp.com.

Discord is safe for use when your teen understands some of the problems that might arise and has a solidunderstand of internet behaviour rules – block an individual if necessary, report abuse and leave a Discord server if any individual is making you uncomfortable, don’t use your real name online, never provide a contact number or an address, and be cautious about who you allow to be a member of your server.

A summary from a 15-year-old user of Discord.

Problems – spam is an issue as large groups become harder to use due to the amount of commentary constantly feeding through. These big Discords are where you can find the bully’s, the occasional individual posting some odd stuff they got off 4chan - porn, and other stuff, and general internet creepers. You can though, find people playing the same game you are. Discord makes it easy to communicate through the game, you can get tips and tricks on how to play better from more experienced gamers. Oddly enough, the big Discords have a reputation to uphold so idiots who behave badly don’t get tolerated for long. Small friend only servers These have people you know or have meet online playing games where you and your friends can co-operate and play the game, or just talk generally. Depending if the person hosting the server is good or bad – there can be a level of tolerance for porn or stuff, but there can be a level of nastiness from friends and sometimes even bullying if the person who is the moderator isn’t doing a good job. The moderator determines the rules. People having a bad day and taking it out on others can be put in a “prisoner role’ – a timeout for bad behaviour. People can be kicked or banned. If you are kicked – maybe you can get back by being provided with a link. If you are banned you will not be able to re-join that particular Discord again. Roles change within the server, with different friends able to take the role of moderator. If you do a bad job, you tend not to be allowed to do it again. Overall, if you are worried about Discord – steer clear of the big public servers, stay close to your friends and use it for sharing things specifically relevant to the game you are playing. Your behaviour is what make you safe on this – keep your head down. Be ready to block anyone you dislike, mute then if you don’t want to hear them, and if a group makes you uncomfortable leave. Never join a Discord that comes from Reddit or 4chan Steam and YouTube are fine– you have more reasonable people who are there to play games, not chat, or taunt you. Some of the major gamers have links to their personal Discord and it’s a great way to improve your skills. Enjoy talking with your friends.