Started letting my 12yr old have Discord, already regretting it

Apr 20·1 min read

Thought it would be fine since all his friends are on there. Found out some random 18yr old has been DMing him gaming tips but also asking weird questions about his school. My wife is furious with me. We deleted the app immediately but now he's mad and feels like we don't trust him. Do I need to monitor his online friends? This is exhausting. Any parents successfully navigated Discord with middle schoolers?

3 comments132 views

Comments(3)

TTyler K.RegularApr 20

That's sketchy as hell. An 18 year old shouldn't be privately messaging a 12 year old period, tips or no tips. You might want to report that account too. My rule with the boys is no DMs from people they don't know in real life.

JJoel F.RegularApr 20

Good catch pulling the plug on this early. I had a similar scare with my oldest on Roblox last year. Now we do all gaming in the living room where I can see what's happening, and he knows I'll spot check his messages. Sounds like your gut was right to worry.

BBrad N.RegularApr 20

Yeah that's the stuff that keeps me up at night honestly. My kids are getting to that age where they want more independence online and I'm just trying to figure out the balance. Shutting it down completely or getting stricter with parental controls?