Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Vent channels on Discord, which are chat channels developed for people to express frustration, can become an informal type of peer support system. This paper is a qualitative study of experiences with vent channels on Discord, examining the experiences of 13 participants through semi-structured interviews. We found that participants were able to meet their needs for social support via vent channels by receiving commiseration, advice, and validation from the responses of others. At the same time, vent channels could lead to frustration when participants have conflicting expectations for their interactions. We suggest ways that Discord or Discord server moderators can provide enhanced structure, clarity, and transparency in order to enable participants to have better experiences in vent channels.
Source: First Monday
Authors: Kayode Oladeji, Tony Wang, Diyi Yang, Amy Bruckman
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413315143