The Secret World of Discord: What Every Christian Parent Needs to Know to Guard Their Child's Heart

Discord has become a central hub for millions of teenagers to communicate, game, and socialize. This widespread use naturally leads parents to question: how safe is this platform for their children?

While Discord initially gained traction as a communication tool for gamers, its inherent design and operational structure present several potential risks that parents should be aware of.

Dr. 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, likened Discord more to platforms like Reddit or Pinterest. She suggested that users are primarily drawn to these for specific activities, learning, and engagement around shared interests, rather than for purely social networking akin to Instagram or Facebook.

As with any online social environment, a primary concern for parents is the anonymity of interactions. It's often difficult to ascertain who their children are truly engaging with on Discord. Dr. Moreno emphasized that "the functionality that allows users to interact with each other without any level of real identification or protection is worrisome on any platform."

The prevalence of cyberbullying and inappropriate content on Discord also demands serious attention from guardians. Moreno notes that keeping children entirely safe online, regardless of the app, remains a persistent challenge.

“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 explained. “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.”

Earlier this year, the state of New Jersey initiated legal action against Discord due to concerns over its child safety provisions.

According to reports from CNBC, the lawsuit alleges that the platform "misled 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.”

Attorneys involved in the case stated, “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.”

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Familyguide® recently offered some guidance to help safeguard children online:

• "Encourage them to identify and report unusual or suspicious behavior and accounts when interacting with others online."
• “Teach them that they are never compelled to respond to online contact. If a situation feels uncomfortable, they should feel empowered to decline interaction.”
• "Stress the importance of not revealing personal information like full names, birthdates, or other private details when setting up social media and gaming profiles, as usernames can inadvertently disclose too much."

Ultimately, as with any digital platform, it is crucial for parents to actively manage their children's engagement with Discord, or even consider opting against its use entirely.