As the new school year begins, many college students are leaving their hometowns for campuses in other cities and states. For the friends they leave behind, this often means navigating hundreds of miles—and sometimes different time zones—that can strain close relationships. However, technology is offering new ways to stay connected, and communication platforms built for gaming, such as Discord, are increasingly becoming digital spaces where friends can continue to spend time together, talk, and socialize even when in-person meetings are no longer possible.
“When I had to move to college in another county, I didn't have proper communication channels set up for when I wanted to talk to my friends back home,” said Zen Dailo from Bakersfield, California. “Discord helps me stay in touch with some of my closest friends from home that I probably wouldn't have kept in touch with.”
For many users, Discord is more than a messaging app for gaming. It functions as a virtual gathering place where friends can talk, share experiences, and spend time together, whether or not they are playing a game. More than 90 million people use Discord every day to text, talk, and video chat before, during, and after playing games. The platform is free to join and is designed around conversations in smaller communities rather than algorithm-driven feeds or viral content. This design makes online interaction feel more personal. Friends can use voice chat, video calls, and high-quality streaming across devices, creating an experience that feels less like sending messages and more like hanging out in the same room. For college students who have suddenly moved away, that kind of always-available social space can make maintaining friendships easier.
Gaming is also helping friends stay connected because it gives them something active to do together rather than simply exchanging messages. Research published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships examined how friendships develop and found that the amount of time people spend together is not the only factor. The type of interaction matters as well, and shared activities, including playing games together, were found to be meaningful predictors of friendship. The popularity of gaming also means that friends do not have to live in the same place to participate in the same activity. The Entertainment Software Association reports that 67 percent of Americans ages 5 to 90 play video games for at least an hour each week, while 49 percent say games help them stay connected with friends and family. This makes gaming different from many traditional social activities, which generally require people to be in the same location. Online gaming allows friends to participate together even when separated by thousands of miles, turning a simple online conversation into shared time.
Maintaining one friendship across distance can be difficult, but keeping an entire friend group together can be even harder. Schedules change after high school: some friends leave for college, others start working, and people may move to different cities or states. Over time, coordinating group gatherings becomes increasingly difficult. Discord is designed for both individual conversations and larger communities. Friends can create Group Direct Messages or establish private Servers—invite-based spaces organized around a friend group, game, or shared interest. These communities give friends a place to return to even when their schedules do not line up perfectly. Users can see which friends are online, join an ongoing conversation, or start a gaming session without having to organize a formal gathering every time. For Logan Iacobo of Pomona, California, Discord has helped preserve a large friend group that might otherwise have become harder to maintain. “Once I was out of high school, I accumulated a very large friend group, so it was hard to always talk to everyone,” he said. “Discord has enabled us to stay connected. When I moved across the country, I could still talk to everyone, and we’ve stayed close to this day – it’s been a real blessing.”
Getting started with Discord is relatively simple. The platform is available for mobile devices, consoles, and desktop computers, and an account can be created in just a few minutes. Friends can start a one-on-one Direct Message or Group Direct Message with people they already know. They can also create a private Server specifically for their friend group or join an existing community based on a favorite game or shared interest. Joining a Server can be as simple as clicking an invitation link from a friend. Users can also browse Discord's directory to discover communities based on games, hobbies, and other interests. For friends separated by college, work, or a move to another part of the country, these features make it easier to maintain a regular connection without requiring everyone to be available at the same time.
Moving away from home can change friendships, but it does not necessarily have to end them. Gaming gives friends a shared activity, while Discord provides a persistent place where they can talk, stream, play, and spend time together. For college students starting a new chapter, staying connected may be as simple as logging on and finding familiar friends waiting in the same digital space. Today, distance doesn't have to mean disconnection. With Discord, the hangout can always be with you.
