Tech entrepreneur and founder of alternative social media platform Retalk Pete Zaborszky joined Human Events Executive Editor Brent Hamachek for the latest edition of his Dissident's Desk series. The two discussed the importance of using social media as a way to create positive engagement and dialogue, and the need to move away from the impersonal, but caustic exchanges too often found online
"I'm a tech entrepreneur, but for some reason, I'm not sort of completely far left. Possibly because I was born in Eastern Eruope when it was still sort of Soviet Hungary," Zaborszky told Hamachek. "So I'm very aware of what it's like to live in a totalitarian country. And then I grew up in the UK and I became a sort of internet entrepreneur."
But Zaborszky says he has recently become "very concerned" about issues surrounding social media.
"I think the two big ones are censorship and the types of conversations we have on social media. They just don't seem to be pushing us in a very healthy way to discuss things," Zaborszky explained.
Zaborszky says his new social network, Retalk is "trying to fix or target those two issues."
"It's built for people who are frustrated with Silicon Valley on the one hand and all the censorship that's going on, but also the format tries to encourage better conversation, and deeper conversations, and well-thought-out discussion."
He noted that the unhealthy nature of social media, and social media addiction, is becoming a "very conscious problem" for society at large.
"Everyone's starting to sort of feel that social media really isn't that good for [them], or that this type of hostile conversation isn't good," said Zaborszky. "And I hope it's going to become a bit like smoking, where in the 60's or the 70's it was cool. All the bad boys were smoking."
"And then eventually...it rose in the consciousness of everyone that actually this is unhealthy and we shouldn't be doing it. And yes, it's addictive, but I should try and force myself to not do it. And I hope we are reaching that stage with social media."
Watch the full interview above.
"I'm a tech entrepreneur, but for some reason, I'm not sort of completely far left. Possibly because I was born in Eastern Eruope when it was still sort of Soviet Hungary," Zaborszky told Hamachek. "So I'm very aware of what it's like to live in a totalitarian country. And then I grew up in the UK and I became a sort of internet entrepreneur."
But Zaborszky says he has recently become "very concerned" about issues surrounding social media.
"I think the two big ones are censorship and the types of conversations we have on social media. They just don't seem to be pushing us in a very healthy way to discuss things," Zaborszky explained.
Zaborszky says his new social network, Retalk is "trying to fix or target those two issues."
"It's built for people who are frustrated with Silicon Valley on the one hand and all the censorship that's going on, but also the format tries to encourage better conversation, and deeper conversations, and well-thought-out discussion."
He noted that the unhealthy nature of social media, and social media addiction, is becoming a "very conscious problem" for society at large.
"Everyone's starting to sort of feel that social media really isn't that good for [them], or that this type of hostile conversation isn't good," said Zaborszky. "And I hope it's going to become a bit like smoking, where in the 60's or the 70's it was cool. All the bad boys were smoking."
"And then eventually...it rose in the consciousness of everyone that actually this is unhealthy and we shouldn't be doing it. And yes, it's addictive, but I should try and force myself to not do it. And I hope we are reaching that stage with social media."
Watch the full interview above.
