If your child is a gamer, chances are good that you’ve heard about Discord. Simply put, Discord is the go-to platform for gamers to connect with each other and share their triumphs while playing. But what exactly is Discord? And how does it work? And why would a gamer (or really, anyone else) want to use it?

Below we take a deep dive into Discord and explain what this hugely popular platform is and how it can make a gaming experience better and more fun. When coupled with Alpine Communications’ advanced fiber internet, which has the power, speed, and bandwidth to tackle any online game, Discord can truly enhance gaming!

Discord Basics—and its Explosive Growth and Popularity

At its core, Discord is a messaging app accessible on smartphones or tablets (both iOS and Android), as well as on gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. It’s also usable on laptops and computers, which PC gamers will appreciate.

Launched in May 2015, Discord quickly ballooned into the global gaming phenomenon it is today.  And the statistics tell the story of Discord’s smashing success: in 2023, there were 200 million active users a month, with a staggering 560 million user accounts in total.

Discord is Built for Gamers—But Not Just for Gamers!

Originally designed specifically for gamers to communicate during their sessions and competitions, it is still primarily used for gaming broadcasting and discussion. Indeed, 90% of all Discord use is for gaming-related interaction.

That said, Discord is not limited to gaming. People use Discord to talk about sports, politics, and stock trades and finances. Many even share their own game-and-character-inspired digital art and designs. But for the most part, Discord remains a place for gamers to gather and connect online.

Discord’s Layout: Servers and Chat Rooms

Discord has a fairly simple layout, but it can be confusing to first-time users. Its home page, or Discovery page, presents several example servers designed around specific games—Call of Duty, Rocket League, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, and Valorant, for example. These servers are the true heart and soul of Discord.

In a sense, Discord’s servers are basically chat rooms with many different channels inside them related to a particular game or interest or topic. Inside the servers, gamers (and other Discord users) can text or even voice chat. Each of these servers (and their many chat rooms) is like its own Discord ecosystem or subculture, complete with house rules, well-known (or even quasi-celebrity) players, unique lingo, and other curiosities.

Of course, Discord also lets you set up chat rooms with just your friends, as well—you don’t need to enter a server to use the app and chat with people you already know or play with. In this way, Discord functions as a simple texting app and/or voice chat room for people in your friend group. Thus, you can easily keep Discord on in the background while playing and interacting with your teammates (through voice or text).

Discord’s channels offer two ways to communicate: voice and text. Channels that allow voice chat are marked with a speaker icon, while those that are limited to texting use a hashtag symbol.

Sharing Gameplay with Other Discord Users

One of Discord’s most popular features is its ability for players to broadcast their gameplay—and talk about their gaming gusto, too! Discord lets you share your screen as you play, at least while you’re inside a voice channel.

Discord’s stickers are also a fun way to award fellow players—or openly mock their mess-ups! The stickers themselves have become a kind of language inside the servers and chat rooms, often substituting for words that Discord users don’t have the time to type out as they react to gameplay.

Discord’s Privacy and Safety Settings

Discord’s default privacy settings are not especially… well, private. However, the app does offer a number of settings that parents can employ to enhance their child’s privacy and security while enjoying Discord.

To implement these settings, simply navigate to User Settings and click on Privacy & Safety. From there, parents can select and implement the settings they prefer. For starters, you can limit your child’s automatically-shared “activity data” while they’re using Discord. This setting reduces the digital footprint your kid leaves (and that Discord collects) while communicating on the app.

Parents may be particularly keen to limit certain kinds of content on Discord, too. For example, you can choose to filter out and exclude servers that contain less-than-savory language and other potentially objectionable content. Additionally, parents can also turn off direct messages (DMs) from people their kids do not know, which limits DMs only to your child’s friends, another key safety feature Discord provides.

Whether your child is easing interactions with gamer friends in private chat rooms or competing in-game on its many servers, Discord is an outstanding tool to make gaming more social and inclusive. But to truly elevate their gaming experience, they need more than just a great platform—they need fast, reliable fiber internet. With Alpine Communications’ advanced fiber internet, they get the power, speed, and bandwidth to handle any online game seamlessly. Don’t let lag or slow connections disrupt their gameplay. Upgrade to fiber internet today and give your child the best gaming experience possible!