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Original poster

Mind Jam using Discord as a Platform for teenager

2 replies

lifeturnsonadime · 08/10/2022 14:22

Hi I'm posting on here because I'm not sure where else to post which gets enough traffic.

My daughter (13 years old) is going to be having some therapy sessions through an organisation recommended by the Autism Society to assist with anxiety. They are online and the idea is to give therapy through gaming.

All fine with that. Spoke to the advisor last week and their preferred platform is Discord.

I've read some concerning things about the use of Discord and grooming of children and concerns about it's use by Mermaids.

I've no concerns about the advisor or about Mind Jam but wonder whether I should be concerned about Discord. I don't want to come across as a nutter but I'd never heard anything positive or negative about it until this week and now I'm a bit worried.

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
NumberTheory · 08/10/2022 15:22

Discord is just a platform. Communication is through the different “servers” that people set up. The person setting up the server gets to control it. Her connecting to a server the therapist runs isn’t putting her in any more danger than going to therapy, because the therapists can control who connects to their server and what goes on there.

The issue is which servers your DD connects to. If she has her own account on her own device that she uses in private, she can connect to any that will have her. So there is the potential for unmonitored interaction with strangers outside the counseling services purview and there are a lot of servers where there is harassment and some where there is grooming. But you could have her use an account on a computer she doesn’t generally have access to just for the counseling so she can’t go off piste and try out other servers at other times. Theres also monitoring software out there.

None of this is ideal for a situation where she needs privacy for the counseling but you need some insight into her other activities. But the counseling service must have come up against this before, so maybe ask them?

Original poster
lifeturnsonadime · 08/10/2022 15:24

NumberTheory · 08/10/2022 15:22

Discord is just a platform. Communication is through the different “servers” that people set up. The person setting up the server gets to control it. Her connecting to a server the therapist runs isn’t putting her in any more danger than going to therapy, because the therapists can control who connects to their server and what goes on there.

The issue is which servers your DD connects to. If she has her own account on her own device that she uses in private, she can connect to any that will have her. So there is the potential for unmonitored interaction with strangers outside the counseling services purview and there are a lot of servers where there is harassment and some where there is grooming. But you could have her use an account on a computer she doesn’t generally have access to just for the counseling so she can’t go off piste and try out other servers at other times. Theres also monitoring software out there.

None of this is ideal for a situation where she needs privacy for the counseling but you need some insight into her other activities. But the counseling service must have come up against this before, so maybe ask them?

That's really helpful thank you.

OP posts:
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