Found my 12 year old in a Discord server with strangers

3w ago·1 min read

Discovered my son was in some random gaming Discord with people I don't know. He said nothing bad was happening just gaming talk but I'm freaked out. Had the whole stranger danger talk with him again. Is Discord safe for kids this age? Should I be monitoring him more or am I being helicopter parent? He's upset I checked his phone but I feel like I have to with all the stuff you hear about online.

4 comments182 views

Comments(4)

RRick M.Regular3w ago

Yeah this is the stuff that keeps me up at night. Discord servers with randoms is sketchy. You need to know who he's talking to and what they're saying. Have you looked into whether you can monitor it or asked him to walk you through who's in there?

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AAdam R.Regular3w ago

This is the new wild west for monitoring. Discord is really hard to keep tabs on. My advice is sit down with him and go through it together. Don't make him feel like you're spying but be clear about what's acceptable. Some of those gaming communities have some sketchy people.

TTravisRegular3w ago

I had to shut down my son's Discord access entirely for a while after I found out who he was talking to. It's not about not trusting him, it's about the predators that lurk in those spaces. Maybe have him use it only with your approval on which servers.

JJoshuaRegular3w ago

This is exactly why I'm dreading my son turning 12. The gaming communities can be wild and kids that age don't always have the judgment to stay away from weird adults. You were right to check it out. Did you have a conversation with him about who he's interacting with?