Island Parent Fall 2023

Discord: The Know-It-All Guide
Maybe you’ve noticed your teen is spending more time
in their room, headphones firmly set over their ears
and eyes set squarely on a computer screen. Or maybe
they’re constantly sneaking peeks at their phones, thumbs
tapping away and stifling laughs. One very likely answer:
Discord. In the ever-evolving landscape of digital communication,
Discord has emerged as a powerful platform that has
brought people together in shared interests, hobbies and
communities. With its roots in gaming, Discord has evolved
into a versatile and user-friendly application that caters
to a wide range of interests, from gaming groups to study
groups, hobbyist communities and even businesses.
Discord’s Origins
Discord was founded by Jason Citron and Stanislav
Vishnevskiy back in May 2015. Interestingly enough, the
inspiration for Discord’s creation was the at-the-time archaic
chat features for online video games. Citron, a gamer
himself and an up-and-coming entrepreneur, envisioned
a communication platform specifically for gamers. Gradually,
though, the vision for what Discord would be was that
of a real-time communication space for communities of all
shapes and sizes to thrive in.
How Discord Went Mainstream
What started off as a platform for gamers quickly grew
out of its original niche and evolved into something else.
Discord’s user-friendly interface, reliability and robust features
quickly attracted people from various backgrounds.
Even before it truly hit the mainstream, it became a go-to
platform for organizing events, sharing knowledge and
fostering online communities. In comparison to other social
media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Discord
makes it very simple to meet and talk to new people; it’s
as simple as searching up your preferred topic or interest,
and you’ll get a long list of servers filled with people who’re
extensively discussing that exact topic. This easy navigation
combines with the very accessible design of the platform
itself, making creating and maintaining your own server only
needing a few clicks. But what really propelled Discord into
the spotlight was the year we all had to spend indoors, and
the world turned to the internet in greater numbers than
ever before to communicate.
34 Island Parent Magazine IslandParent.ca