Chicago father and daughter launch app to bridge political divides
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Lee and Libby Prosch. Photos: Courtesy of Sandbox
A Carol Stream father and his Chicago daughter were often involved in family disagreements about politics, so they created a free app to help.
Why it matters: U.S. politics topped the list of stressors for adults in a survey last year from the American Psychological Association.
- But only surrounding yourself with points of view that align with your own puts you in a political echo chamber.
Driving the news: Lee and Libby Prosch launched the Sandbox app earlier this month.
Flashback: During Thanksgiving in 2021, Libby, a self-described progressive, and her grandparents argued about the efficacy and necessity of the COVID vaccine. A full-blown fight ensued.
- Then, over Christmas, the family argued about climate change.
The other side: Lee, who tells Axios he's straight down the center politically, tried to calm his kids' nerves by explaining the danger wasn't as imminent as they feared.
- "I don't think I've ever been that rattled as I was on that night," Lee says.
They started talking about solutions for civil political conversations and came up with Sandbox.
How it works: Each Sunday, Sandbox users answer questions about a political topic, from vaccines to immigration to health care access.
- Users are matched up with people who represent different points of view on that week's topic.
- The users are fed an assertion each day about that topic, and each person explains why they agree or disagree with the statement.
- At the end of the week, it's just an open chat between the users without prompts.
Between the lines: The Prosches say the structure of the app helps weed out some of the vitriol present on the internet when discussing politics.
- "The fact that you have to take the time to explain your own response, and then see the other person's, means that you're not immediately just attacking them," Libby says. "It's a lot harder to be an asshole to one person when you know you're going to have to talk to them again."
What's next: The creators are still finalizing a business plan, but say subscriptions are not in the future as they don't want to limit who can participate in The Sandbox.