📱App Review·7 min read
What Is Discord?
Discord is a free communication platform originally built for gamers. It now hosts communities for everything from study groups to hobby clubs. Teens use it for text chat, voice chat, and video calls — both in public servers and private DMs.
Safety Features
- Privacy settings let users control who can send direct messages
- Servers can be public or private — private servers are harder to monitor
- Voice channels are real-time and hard to review after the fact
- Discord has community guidelines but enforcement is inconsistent
Risks for Young Users
- Public servers can contain adult content, hate speech, or predatory behaviour
- DMs from strangers are a primary vector for grooming
- Voice chat is difficult to monitor without AI-powered tools
- Children may join servers linked to harmful communities
Recommended Settings
Use WhānauGuard to monitor Discord activity on your child's device. Enable direct message restrictions in Discord's privacy settings. Talk to your child about which servers they've joined and why.