Caveat – Discord in their Terms of Service state that the minimum age to join their app is 13+. However, in the Apple Store they recommend 17+ to download the app. Presently, we believe that Discord is better suited for older teens.
Today’s youth live in an onlife world where platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Roblox, and Discord dominate their social and gaming lives. While these spaces can offer community, creativity, and entertainment, they are not without risks. No matter the platform’s original purpose, whenever a space becomes popular with young people, some individuals inevitably push hyper-sexualized content and pornography into those spaces, Discord is no exception.
Discord is a communication platform originally built for gamers but has grown into a massive online space for anyone to gather around shared interests. It combines elements of FaceTime (voice and video calling) with Reddit-style discussion boards, allowing users to text, talk, or video chat in group spaces called “servers.” Today, Discord hosts about 6.7 million active servers and 140 million active monthly users.
Servers can be private, invite-only spaces among friends, or public communities where strangers gather around everything from favourite video games to TV shows, hobbies, and, unfortunately, even explicit sexualized content.
One of the biggest challenges with Discord is the sheer amount of “Not Safe For Work” (NSFW) content. There are over 10,000 NSFW servers, spaces dedicated to sharing hyper-sexualized and pornographic material. (1) While Discord technically requires users to be 18+ to join these NSFW servers, the “age gate” is extremely easy to bypass. Discord does not use real age verification like ID checks or facial recognition, instead all a user needs to do is simply click a button stating they are of age.
This ease of access means a young person doesn’t have to type “porn” into a search engine or navigate to a known adult website, which makes is harder for parents and caregivers to detect their child is accessing pornography. Instead, with just a few taps inside the Discord app, they can access a buffet of explicit images and videos, often more extreme and varied than what they’d typically find on some porn sites.
Even more alarming is that some servers illegally share Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), which is illegal and highly harmful. While Discord actively works to detect and remove CSAM, the platform’s vastness make total enforcement very challenging.
Besides the availability of explicit content, Discord also poses other safety risks that parents and caregiver should be aware of. Discord allows users 18+ to link payment methods and accept donations, another feature that can be exploited, especially by individuals seeking to manipulate or exploit vulnerable users when it comes to sharing intimate images (nudes). Again, even though you need to be 18+ to make this feature work, age verification is easily bypassed.
So, what can parents do?
Start a Conversation
Open communication is your first and most important line of defence. Talk to your child about Discord in a calm and non-judgmental way. Ask them if they use the app, what servers they are part of, and who they are communicating with. Instead of turning the conversation into an interrogation, make it an ongoing dialogue where your child feels comfortable sharing their online experiences with you. The more open the line of communication, the more likely your child will come to you if they encounter something uncomfortable or unsafe.
Explore Together
One of the best ways to understand and guide your child’s experience is to step into their onlife world. Create a Discord account yourself and spend some time learning how the platform works. Explore how servers are organized, how chats and voice channels operate, and what privacy settings are available. By familiarizing yourself firsthand, you’ll not only feel more confident having conversations with your child, but you’ll also be better equipped to spot potential red flags and guide them on safer practices.
Use Privacy Settings
Privacy settings on Discord are critical for protecting your child’s personal information. Teach them how to set their account to private, block unwanted messages, and control who can send them friend requests. It’s also important to disable location-sharing features if they are active, as sharing physical location data can expose them to additional risks. Encourage your child to only accept friend requests from people they know in real life and to be cautious when interacting with new users, even if they seem friendly or have mutual connections.
Monitor Server Memberships
Just like you would want to know where your child hangs out in the real world, it’s important to know where they spend time online. Regularly check what servers your child has joined on Discord. While many NSFW servers are labeled clearly, others are hidden behind innocent-sounding names or themes to lure in younger users. Make it a regular part of your digital check-ins to review these spaces together and have open discussions about why certain servers may not be appropriate or safe.
Educate About Grooming Risks
Unfortunately, Discord, like any platform that allows anonymous communication, can be a hunting ground for predators. It’s crucial to educate your child that not everyone online is who they claim to be. Teach them about the signs of grooming behaviour, such as adults trying to build private conversations, offering gifts, asking for personal information, or making conversations sexual in nature. Make sure they know that if anyone ever makes them feel uncomfortable or pressured, they should come to you immediately without fear of getting in trouble.
Set Rules About Usage
Setting clear rules about how and when Discord can be used is key to minimizing risks. Depending on your child’s age and maturity level, you might decide to delay access to Discord altogether, limit which servers they can join, or require that they use it only when an adult is nearby. Rules should also include time limits, appropriate behaviour expectations, and what to do if they encounter something disturbing. Revisiting these rules regularly as your child grows will ensure that their online habits stay age-appropriate and safe.
Discord, like many online platforms, offers young people opportunities for creativity, community, and connection. However, it also presents very real risks, particularly around exposure to explicit content, predatory behaviour, and privacy vulnerabilities. As parents and caregivers, it’s not enough to simply hope our children stay safe, we must actively guide them through these digital landscapes with education, involvement, and clear boundaries. By starting open conversations, exploring the platform ourselves, setting strong privacy settings, monitoring server memberships, educating about online risks, and setting clear usage rules, we can empower our children to navigate Discord more safely. Technology itself isn’t the enemy, lack of awareness is. The more we engage, the better prepared our children will be to recognize danger, make smart choices, and come to us when they need help.
Discord, like any online platform, isn’t inherently bad an most youth and teens use it in an appropriate way, but it’s not designed with child safety at its core. It’s vital for parents to be proactive. By understanding how Discord works and staying engaged in your child’s onlife world, you can help protect them from dangers they might not even realize exist.
Related Article:
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
Resources:
1/ https://beta.discodus.com/servers/tag/nsfw?utm_source=chatgpt.com
