Discord is a multi-purpose app with features like voice and video chatting and tons of servers for different communities. It was popular among gamers first and gradually it grabbed the attention of users having different interests. But just like any other similar app, it has its disadvantages too. If you’re a parent, you may get concerned thinking is discord app safe to use for children or not. Read this article until the end to get a glimpse of the dark side of this trending app.
For teenagers :
Discord can be a safe haven for teenagers depending upon which servers they join and the communities they interact with. See how discord works and if it’s secure or not.
Youngsters may want to utilize this app to learn to code, discuss their favorite anime or simply have fun with memes. However, freedom comes with a price tag, and here the price is the security of their devices and personal space. Just like any other social media platform, they may face unnecessary adult content, phishing pages, or spamming which can induce viruses on the specific device.
Discord certainly has taken ample measures to protect the safety of its users. Its guidelines are available to everyone publicly and the servers are bound to follow these guidelines. Even if these privacy policies are there, users need to be extra careful on their own to avoid these hazards. Build-in security settings in the app can double teenagers’ security.
Age limit :
Age limit :Your kid needs to be at least thirteen years old to sign up and use the facilities of Discord. Quite surprisingly, the app shows two different age limitations in android and iPhones. The limitation at Google Play Store is shown 12+, while in Apple play store the limitation is 17+.
Servers :
The company doesn’t really pay heed to the innumerable servers present in the app until and unless any of them breaches its security policies. Bigger servers automatically ban users under the age of 13 in order to avoid trouble with discord. However, children under 13 can easily get past this restriction by lying about their age! Smaller servers or servers with poor moderation don’t even Serviceher checking the age of their users. We certainly recommend parents to be careful about their below 13 children getting on discord as it may expose them to inappropriate content such as hate speech, vulgar media, etc.
Types of mature contents :
Children can come across Adult content on any of the servers in the app. There’s no practical way to keep your 13+ or 17+ children one hundred percent safe from them. For instance, your child can be inside a public gaming server playing her favorite game, when a few other members can suddenly start discussing violence. Some may upload NSFW(not safe for work), use Services that show adult pictures, and send vulgar emoticons which can cause mental disturbance for children.
Discord has features that mark those NSFW content suitable for older people. Such contents can be hidden manually too. On desktops, users can mark a photo as a spoiler before uploading it. On phones or tablets, users can do this by clicking on the picture. The photo will be temporarily blurred and users will need to tap on it to reveal its identity.
Phishing and spamming:
Some accounts may spam servers and individual users with phishing links and texts Serviceh in public and personal spaces. Unfortunately, teenagers who try to purchase discord nitro come across these links more than anyone else. Nitro is the app’s subscribed version which provides users with better features.
Upon clicking, these links redirect users to a false site where they’re asked for money or details of a bank account. If it’s filled the perpetrators can get hold of the users’ money and data in no time! Another major problem is that these links can’t be differentiated from the real links where many servers host real giveaways of free nitro. Users need to be extra careful about the real and fake links and proceed to pay only after double-checking and cross verification.
Ways to avoid phishing:
- Users should check the spellings of giveaway links as they often contain grammatical errors and haphazard phrasing. For instance, it may have “discord” with “l” instead of “I” in discord.
- You should double-check the source of the URLs. If it was sent by a server owner, moderator, or admin it’s more likely to be legal. If it’s a common user the chances are that it’s fake and you must ask that particular server owner for confirmation.
Use verified servers :
Children can search for verified servers by pressing the explore button below their server list. Some commonly used verified servers for gaming and other activities are Game Dev League, Homework Help Discord Server, JP Classroom, Genshin Impact Discord Server, Minecraft Discord Server, Roblox Discord Server, etc.
Report and block users :
If you get inappropriate messages from strangers, you should report them to the owner of the specific server. Reporting doesn’t only keep the offended safe but also helps in creating a better environment. You can also block offenders by tapping on the profile pic and next to three dots in the upper right. Then you’ll need to press block and confirm the red block button for confirmation.
Conclusion :
Thus, by following these steps, children can be kept safe. They’re also advised to change their security and privacy settings according to needs. Joining age-appropriate channels, avoiding unknown people and their friend requests, and keeping discord accounts unlinked to other social accounts are also recommended to have a safe experience in the app.