arXiv subjects

Elena Koung

Publications and source records attributed to Elena Koung.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Gaming Together on Discord: Teen Gamer's Cross-Platform Practices

Discord is one of the most popular communication platforms among gamers. While prior research has highlighted its role in community building, relatively little attention has been paid to its original gaming context-how it shapes gameplay and social experiences. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 teenage Discord users. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we show how players leverage Discord to create more collaborative and socially enriched experiences that extend beyond the game itself. However, gaming together on Discord also resulted in social and security risks. We conceptualize gaming together on Discord as a cross-platform practice that extends gameplay beyond a game and supports players' social needs. Additionally, cross-platform practice also introduces the 'platform gap,' where fragmented governance between platforms exposed players to risks. To address this tension, we propose design implications aimed at bridging the platform gap, strengthening communication channels, and supporting safer gaming experiences.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

Teen Vigilance: Navigating Risky Social Interactions on Discord

Teenagers are avid users of Discord, a fast growing platform for synchronous communication where they often interact with strangers. Because Discord combines private DMs, semi-private voice channels, and public servers in one place, it creates a hybrid environment that can produce complex and underexplored safety risks for teenagers. Drawing on 16 interviews with teenage Discord users, this study examines their strategies for navigating risky social interactions in the platform. Our findings reveal that when teenagers encounter risks during social interactions, they exercise vigilance by evaluating suspicious interactions before forming friendships, using safety tools, and engaging in controlled risk-taking to safeguard their privacy and security. At the community level, they mitigate risks through selective participation in servers, a practice supported by vigilant governance structures. We discuss how vigilance enables teenagers to act during risky encounters to protect themselves, advancing understanding of teenagers' agency in risk navigation and informing teen-centered designs for safer online environments.

cs.HC↗