Even devout fans of social media sites and online comment forums acknowledge there is a dark side. The great freedom of speech these platforms afford also offers impunity to those who hurl abuse from the shadows. For every generous attempt to start a debate, there seems to be an internet troll skulking, ready to fling an insult.

But video debating may be about to change that. An online site launched this month could spell the beginning of the end for hidden internet abusers. The new platform aims to raise the standard of discussions by making sure all those who comment are happy to put their face where their opinions are. The basis of the site is simple: users express their views in a short video post, rather than anonymously by text.

Although other video comment sites have existed for some time, Ticckle claims to be clearer and better designed. It also claims to answer the growing demand for a hospitable place where ideas can be talked through in public.

Xan Blacker and Richard Hardisty, the British creators of the new platform, have won early support from influential names such as Stephen Fry and Richard Dawkins. Fry, who has tweeted his support for the initiative, certainly has faith that trolls will find it difficult to undermine discussions on the site.

"The essence of trolling is anonymity," he told the Observer this weekend. "They lurk under the articles, blogs and YouTube clips, revelling in some weird sense of power their malice and spite engenders. I really believe Ticckle will solve that."

And Fry suspects the time is now right for a debating site that has a lighter tone than an academic forum. "Ticckle is cheerful, friendly, it allows people to express themselves, but will clearly not be competition for earnest debate," he said. "Everyone has it in them to contribute their thoughts, to express their views, to contribute. Some will be shy at first, but then they'll see that it's fun and non-judgmental."

This weekend, as they received approval for their Ticckle app from Apple, the co-founders talked of their hope that, in the face of several similar sites such as Keek and Deeyoon, Ticckle would bring more sanity and openness to online discourse.

"We have loads of plans for Ticckle," said Hardisty, a comedian and former model from Harrogate. "But I guess the main ambition is to create somewhere where people can talk about anything and feel safe in doing so. Only when we are able to talk in a civilised way about anything is there any chance of solving all the issues in the world. It would be amazing to create somewhere that connected people based on difference as opposed to similarity."

The site allows users to post 30-second comments, questions or thoughts and to start up a chain of discussion. The front page of the site urges users to press the Ticckle button and "engage with others". It warns: "You may not agree with what they say, but they still made you think. They ruffled your feathers. They 'ticckled' your brain!"

Trolling is now such a disincentive for some internet users that they refuse to comment online. Yet Hardisty, 30, does not call for an end to all anonymity on the web. "In some cases it's pretty important on the internet, such as to protect safety," he said. "If I was to testify against a mob boss, I would probably like some anonymity – or at least some kind of wig." He likens the childish impulse of the internet troll to the actions of someone who hides behind a car and trips people up with a wire. It is something, Hardisty suggests, that would quickly be exposed as stupid if the perpetrator had to stand up in broad daylight.

His drive to create the site came partly from difficult personal experiences. "I ended up in hospital due to mental health conditions," he explains, "and I was forced into psychotherapy with people who at first I thought were quite frightening and insane."

"I spoke to them and learned their stories and realised the way they were acting made perfect sense based on how they were raised and the experiences they have had. This same thing goes for everyone. We only know what we've been told, so there can no 'right' or 'wrong' and to expect people to be just like you is just not realistic. I hope that Ticckle is a reflection of this kind of spirit."

Blacker, 36, of Shepherd's Bush, London, says his work in film and video, his degree in politics and sociology and his love of a good argument have all led to him developing the debating site with his friend. "We both believe the internet is meant to be enlightening us. It has so much potential to connect people who are completely different. Social media with a bit of purpose is, I guess, what we're setting out to create."

Like Hardisty, Blacker sees a value in anonymity in some situations, such as when people are politically oppressed. "However the anger from anonymous people online is a bit depressing. Adding video to online conversation is a bit like turning on the lights in a giant room and, in the context of talking about important issues, it forces people to stand up and be counted. It also humanises the interaction, so hopefully people will be more understanding. It would be great if people could disagree in a passionate way, but without the nastiness."

At the Olympic opening ceremony, the original generous impulse of the world wide web's creator, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, to make his invention freely available to all was celebrated. For Fry the key is to find the best ways to communicate on it. He feels the 30-second limit on Ticckle video posts may help. "Not because we all have lost our concentration span, but because I think it will actually force concentration of ideas," he said. "People can think, prepare, and then pop their Ticckle in without meandering. It's a useful discipline, as Twitter has shown."

But he does not predict a future where video has replaced the power of the written word. "There'll always be text-based communication," said Fry. "The act of reading and the act of writing – although much much newer than language itself in our species – still retain advantages. Editing for one … you can always go back, delete and rephrase."