Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 05:31     Subject: 13 year old talking to strangers online
13 yo doesn’t have discord or any social media. Can text friends. We’ve discussed dangers of talking to strangers online. We’ve discussed not sending photos of herself to anyone ever except family. That way there’s no thinking involved. I share stories on occasion I see in the news about a bad outcome from a kid engaging with a stranger online. And they know there are a lot of scammers out there because we all get scam texts/emauls/calls everyday now.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 16:16     Subject: Re:13 year old talking to strangers online
Anonymous wrote:I would be very leery of this. I talk with my tween about only chatting on games with friends you know in person--how you know who they are, I will know the parents if there were a problem with bullying, and how unlikely it is that another student you know in person is chatting with you for a reason they aren't disclosing. I tell my tween that someone you don't know could be an adult. Could ask you for money. Could be sneakily testing you to see if you would be a good candidate for something dangerous or dark (we watch some Marvel comics on Netflix, so I usually use those story lines as examples, even though they are fake.)

Could he talk to someone he doesn't know? yes. Sometimes he is on with "friends of friends" which I'm not crazy about. But I think the important thing is to give your child the awareness that things are not always what they seem. One example which isn't sexual is this story: https://www.npr.org/2018/11/05/660642531/right-wing-hate-groups-are-recruiting-video-gamers



This is a REALLy important story and it’s only gotten much worse since 2018.

The book Some Kind of Hate by Sarah Darer Littman is a really great read about how pervasive white supremacist and anti-Semitic groomers are in gaming spaces. You could listen to it as an audiobook together.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 09:16     Subject: 13 year old talking to strangers online
Anonymous wrote:Do you like your DC to talk to kids online on Discord?

I saw the nothings its all normal so nothing inappropriate, but I find it odd that when they intro they have to say their pronouns... is this normal for kids now days??


You don't remember introducing yourself as 14/f/md (or whatever) in AOL chatrooms back in the day?
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2026 22:18     Subject: 13 year old talking to strangers online
Your kid is talking to strangers online and pronouns are your concern?
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2026 22:16     Subject: 13 year old talking to strangers online
My son was allowed chatting in Minecraft while playing. Also made friends around the world. Discord however -- no way. That's a grooming ground. Get him off Discord! Apparently Fortnite also has groomers looking for innocents.