What To Know About Discord, Should College Students Use This?

Discord is an online communication tool that uses voice, video and text chat apps to connect to millions of people above 17. People who use Discord use it mainly as a gaming server while others use them as a platform to connect with teachers, study groups, and even for mental health support.

Similar to Skype and Teamspeak, it is a free app that relies on instant messaging. Discord can be used for Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and different web browsers.

A Short Overview On Discord

To use Discord, all you need is an email address to set up an account. Originally, it was available for users 13 years and up unless the state mandates an older age. However, the age rating was raised to 17+, a request by Apple to ensure that minors are protected and are not exposed to any inappropriate content that may be shared through the platform.

Users can either be invited to servers or find links online to be able to access the app. The server admin creates ground rules on how to use the server – who it is for as well as the level of courtesy and etiquette that should be practiced in the server. Filtering explicit content that will be shared on the server is also the responsibility of the server administrator.

Discord For College Students

Discord is already a very popular platform for most gamers. Its popularity was attributed to the growth of online gaming communities. The recent pandemic event triggered an increased use of the platform. On top of gaming servers, there are also servers created for play and for learning.

Being a space of collaboration, educators have already looked into Discord as a place to communicate learning. There are already a lot of students active on Discord. Thus, it is a very accessible platform where educators can connect and communicate with their students.

What makes Discord ideal for students? Here are some of the top reasons:

Discord Features An Established Community

Young adults have already found a sustainable and powerful community in Discord. It is already a very useful platform where people with similar interests thrive and socialize. It would be easier to establish a platform for education knowing that there are already several other helpful communities in the app.

Educators can fully maximize the opportunity of starting and creating a learning environment that is accessible and trusted by the younger generation.

The App Allows Private And Live Videos With Location Tracking

Although strictly opt-in, conversations in Discord can be set in private and live videos are supported. Educators can use this feature for one-on-one lessons with students or for personal counseling. The location features, when turned on, can help users see nearby friends in the area, together with their teachers and mentors, making it easier to connect with them online. It is less open and visible compared to other platforms like Facebook. You can easily create public and private groups conducive for learning on the platform.

Use Discord Responsibly 

As always, you should use the platform responsibly. We cannot emphasize the importance of protecting yourself even online. Ensure that you do not give out your passwords and do not invite random people. Also, it’s best not to send private photos even to people you trust the most. As we all know, hackers are now more sophisticated and you might have regrets in the future.

Discord is very ideal for students and educators looking for a substitute platform where they can connect with students and colleagues. It has served as an efficient and affordable communication tool and support for its young users, especially during the pandemic. Even as schools began to open their doors for their students, Discord remained to grow and became a great tool for educators in collaborating and educating their students.

Discord Alternatives 

There are other apps you can use to communicate with your schoolmates and professors. We still have Skype, Slack and Viber to name a few. Just make sure that others are comfortable using the platform and stick to the ones that work well for you. Otherwise, you might be eating a lot of space from your gadget by downloading all of these.