- Official min age
- 13+
- Users
- 150 million monthly active users
- Content types
- Text chat Voice chat Video calls File sharing Community servers
What is Discord?
Discord is a communication platform built around communities called servers. Each server contains text channels, voice channels, and video channels organised by topic. Originally designed for gaming communities, Discord has expanded to serve all kinds of groups — from hobby communities and study groups to fan communities for music artists, TV shows, and more.
Launched in 2015, Discord has become extremely popular among teenagers and young adults. Servers can be public (anyone can join) or private (invite only). Direct messages are also available between individual users.
What parents should know
Discord's server-based structure makes it different from traditional social media, and its risks are distinct. Because servers are often themed around games, TV shows, or other interests, children may join servers and interact with adults they have never met offline in a context that feels normal and safe to the child.
Public servers can contain adult content if the server is marked as age-restricted, but age verification relies on self-declared birth dates. Some servers explicitly violate Discord's terms of service and host harmful content. Direct messages can be sent by anyone who shares a server with your child, unless privacy settings are changed.
Key risks include contact from unknown adults in shared servers, exposure to adult or extremist content, online grooming (Discord is frequently cited in safeguarding cases), cyberbullying within gaming communities, and addiction to the real-time communication model. Parents should know which servers their child is in and encourage open conversation about who they are talking to. Discord Family Center allows parents to see activity summaries, including which servers a child is in and who they have messaged recently.
Current trends on Discord
No trends found