Dissecting Discord: What you need to know about the platform kids are using across the country

DAYTON — According to a 2023 Gallop survey, teens spend nearly five hours a day on social media.

Many of them use an app called Discord. Although the platform was created nearly a decade ago, many parents still know little about it.

News Center 7 Consumer Advisor Clark Howard breaks down how the social media site works and how one mom keeps her kids safe online.

Dylan Rubio is 16 and loves gaming. Sitting alone in his basement game room, he could be interacting with dozens or hundreds of other people. They communicate using the chat platform Discord.

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“Like my friends on Discord, I know them in school personally and we play like Fortnight together and/or Call of Duty or GTA,” Rubio said.

Leandra Cano, Rubio’s mom said, “So, I first heard about Discord, I think I said when he was around 11.”

She said keeping tabs on what her son sees is a number one priority.

“I have to rely on myself as a parent and my spot checks for when I see inappropriate things. We need to have a discussion,” Cano said.

Discord is made up of millions of servers. Some are public and some are private and need an invitation to join. Rubio was able to set one up in minutes.

“You can press for a Club or a Community or me and my friends and you just click it,” Rubio said.

The servers break down into channels about specific topics and users can send private messages.

Titania Jordan, founder of Bark Technologies, said, “Many parents don’t even realize this is even a place that exists, much less how popular it is.”

She said parents need to be aware of how their kids use Discord and who they could be talking to.

“Discord is the place for kids.” Asked if there are adults on the site, Jordan said,” Yes, and in fact, there are creepy adults there preying on children.”

You don’t even have to join it. But understand what it is so you can speak somewhat intelligently about it with your children. Because chances are, they are using it.

This is why Andy Green uses Discord to connect with his students at Kennesaw State University.

“Discord is an easy way for me to create a space that I manage and control. I can bounce anybody at any time from the server if I need to,” Green said.

And he can set up alerts for alarming content. “I typically find out about it within a few minutes,”

Rubio said he keeps tabs on his younger brother’s devices and said he’s caught him talking to people he shouldn’t.

Clark Howard said as a parent of three children, I can tell you how tough it is, as they grew up, dealing with what content they are seeing online, what’s going on, on social media.

Howard also said now more than ever, parents have to be nosey and be involved and make sure kids know what they’re doing as parents.

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