Discord has a monthly user base of 100 million active users. It allows communication among users via text, voice messages, and video sharing.
Discord is mostly used for gaming interactions among children. Huge numbers of kids are drawn to the Discord app because of Gaming content.
Initially, Discord facilitated real-time communication to game players while they played video games. But now it has grown into a much larger platform. It features several servers or groups which are characterized by topics.
Many Discord servers are open to the public while some are invite-only. Discord users can also create their server or can enter any topic-specific group based on their interests.
The popular server topics among children include science, music, coding, and games like Fortnite or Roblox.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Have Discord?
You have to be at least 13 years old to have access to Discord. According to the Terms of Service of Discord, a user must be having this minimum required age to access the application.
In case, a Discord user is found to be below the minimum age limit, his account gets locked.
A locked account under this penalty can be unlocked only when the user presents his official ID, which can prove him to be above 13 years of age.
Is Discord Safe For 12-Year Olds?
No, Discord is not safe for 12-year-olds. The Discord Terms of service also prohibit the under 13 kids to access Discord. Several larger servers on Discord have pedophiles on them hunting for young kids.
However, many argue that 12-year-olds should be permitted website access to Private Invite Only servers. This way they can communicate with other children belonging to a similar age group.
While playing their favorite video games, players can easily locate and communicate with each other using Discord. These app features attract younger children to the site.
Younger children should use the platform only under the proper guidance of their parents. They should be smart enough to accept the friend requests of known people only.
Is Discord Safe For 10 Year Olds?
No, Discord is not safe for 10-year-olds. It is not even legal to access Discord for the below 13 age group.
Even if your child is joining only the gaming servers, then also it comes with great risk. Abusive language and Profanity are common on several Gaming servers of Discord making it risky for innocent kids.
Moreover, Discord is full of creeps who prey upon and groom children. In addition, the site has a lot of mature content that a 10-year-old should not access.
However, joining servers with mature content requires a minimum age limit of 18 years. But, any user can easily lie about his age for joining any group. This further adds to the dangers of Discord.
Also Read: Does Discord Notify When You Leave A Server?
Is Discord Safe For 9 Year Olds?
No, Discord is not safe for 9 year olds. Open platforms generally come with several involved risks. There is always a risk of cyberbullying and exposure to adult content.
9-year-olds are not smart enough to take wise decisions and they can easily fall victim to any malicious activity.
The craze for gaming brings children to Discord. But, many games come based on mature themes and violence. So, the parents should consider the minimum age limit for Discord seriously.
They should enforce the tightest possible privacy & safety settings if they are allowing their kids to operate the platform.
Discord Minimum Age By Country
The minimum required age for Discord varies in different countries. Most countries like the United States, India, etc. follow the legal Discord minimum age criteria and allow the 13 plus children to access the platform.
The minimum required age limits in the various countries for accessing the Discord site are given below.
Countries With Minimum Age 14
South Korea, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.
Countries With Minimum Age 15
Serbia, Greece, France, the Czech Republic, and Vietnam.
Countries With Minimum Age 16
Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Romania, Poland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Hungary, Germany, Croatia, Sint Maarten, Curacao, Caribbean Netherlands, and Aruba.
Also Read: How To DDoS Someone On Discord?
Why Is Discord 13+?
Discord is legal for 13+ users because it is primarily geared towards adults and is full of adult content.
It is unsafe for younger children because of the several risks involved such as cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, etc.
Discord is in the process of making a barrier to keeping a check on the birth date of people who create an account on the platform. This will make sure that the users fulfill the minimum age requirement criteria.
Conclusion
Unless the activities of children below 13 on Discord are monitored actively by their guardians, they should not be allowed to access the Discord website or app.
If the children do not have any means of accessing public servers and are using the platform only for communicating with their friends or peers, only then it can be considered safe for them.
However, children often lie about their ages while signing up for Discord. This is due to the lack of any proper regulative check on the ages of the Discord users.
