I built a debate app for civility. Users wanted to be toxic.
So I’m obsessed with debate, I’ll be honest, and I’ve noticed, as I’m sure we all have, that discourse in recent years has gotten really toxic.
It’s either a dogpile, throwing insults, being condescending, I don’t need to rehash what I imagine we all already know.
I built an app where people could swipe on topics, get matched with someone who disagrees, and get a score on their civility. The idea was that if you’re always an asshole, your shitty civility score would follow you and no one would want to talk to you.
I added a feature in passing called toxic mode that did not judge your civility. Spew your venom, no holds barred.
That was the idea.
Every time I got an install on the app, every single user immediately jumped into toxic mode. Out of 100+ downloads, not a single person wanted to have a civil discussion. They wanted the messy version. The heated version. The version that felt more like a chaotic internet argument than a polite debate club.
So I stopped fighting it and built a lightweight browser version where you can just pick a topic and jump in:
https://thinklavender.com/ragebait
The goal is still to get people talking to people they disagree with. Maybe the first step is not making everyone perfectly civil. Maybe it is just getting them in the same room.
And if that room has to be a little toxic to get people through the door, so be it.
Would love feedback on the idea and whether this feels like something people would actually try.
