If you haven’t noticed, social media has provided plenty of ways for people to engage in conversation. Large platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have become hubs for debate on every topic imaginable. But the size and format of these platforms are sometimes not the best for civil discourse. People tend to become slightly aggressive: Not only does this breed hostility, but it often leads to echo chambers. And most debates on these platforms happen randomly and without a moderator, contributing to the chaos. But Gen Z entrepreneur Aaron Golbin created DebateIsland to be the exact opposite of that.
A place for bipartisan dialogue
Seventeen-year-old Golbin founded DebateIsland at the age of 12 and has already been on the cover of Forbes and Inc. This Gen Z boss created the platform to be a moderated and civil debate platform where both sides of the argument can be heard, reclaiming the art of bipartisan dialogue. And people can improve their debating skills: Anyone can voice their opinion, from the novice to the expert.
The need for moderation
Golbin doesn’t see DebateIsland as a free speech platform the way Twitter and Facebook aim to be. “We do moderate pretty heavily but also fairly,” he said. Evidence points to the fact that debates run smoother and are more effective with a moderator: Establishing ground rules and arbitrating the conversations are crucial to avoiding chaos. Golbin definitely had this in mind with DebateIsland.
A clash of ideas, not people
“Debates should be centered on a clash of ideas, not a clash of people,” debate expert Aaron Duncan of the University of Nebraska said. And DebateIsland holds this idea at its core. The love for discourse itself is what sets it apart from the abundance of online debate platforms around the world.
Would you debate on a platform like DebateIsland? Does this Gen Z entrepreneur inspire you? Let us know what you think in the comments.