Prince Harry recently made headlines at the 2024 Clinton Global Initiative in New York, where he humorously reflected on his misspent youth while passionately advocating for better protection of children from the dangers of social media.
The Duke of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍, 40, took the stage alone to address the audience, emphasizing the “crisis” young people face in today’s online world. He immediately launched into a serious discussion about the pervasive threats posed by social media, particularly to children.
Amidst the serious tone, Harry lightened the mood by joking about his own youthful mischief, saying, “Some say kids will be kids, and that may be true. Kids may get into trouble. I know a thing or two about that. But our kids are being targeted. The harmful effects of social media are made by design.” He highlighted how these platforms are intentionally designed to foster addiction.
In a poignant moment, Harry revealed that the lock screen on his phone features a picture of his children, Archie and Lilibet. He then shared heartbreaking images of young people who have suffered tragic outcomes due to the harmful impacts of social media. As he pulled out his phone, he challenged the audience, asking, “My lock screen is a picture of my kids. What’s yours?”
He concluded with a powerful message about the loss suffered by families, stating, “These children and thousands more meant the world to their families. Their beautiful faces you see before you, their smiles, their dreams, all lost, all too soon, and all because of social media.”
Harry said they were the inspiration for why his Archewell Foundation launched the Parents Network, a support network for parents of children affected by online harm.
Harry said that through The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network, his and Meghan’s charity, they will campaign for more to support families of children who have lost their lives to online abuse – and stop further tragedies.
He began by saying ‘Good morning’ to which someone in audience responded by shouting the same, with Harry smiling and saying ‘thank you’.
The duke said: ‘I stand before you today to speak about the pervasive threat that our online world poses to us, especially our children.
‘If we allow the status quo to remain in an age where our lives are intertwined with technology, we cannot afford to only see the online world as a space for profitability, competition, and rapid growth instead.’
He said that he and many other parents never grew up with a mobile phone, and were struggling to understand the online world and help their children navigate it.
The Duke of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍, in a passionate speech, said: ‘These platforms are designed to create addiction.
‘Young people are kept there by mindless, endless, numbing, scrolling, being force fed content that no child should ever be exposed to.
‘I, like many of you, do not grow up with a phone. Young people today possess an incredible understanding of technology that older generations may struggle to grasp.’
He went on: ‘Our laws and regulations are different, state to state, country to country.
‘We may have different backgrounds, viewpoints, beliefs, and even access to the internet itself, but the one thing that we can universally agree on is the safety of our children.
‘So why do the leaders of these insanely powerful social media companies still refuse to change? Why are we holding them to the lowest ethical standards?’
In a seeming nod to his antics in his younger days which prompted laughter in the audience, Harry said: ‘Some say kids will be kids and well, that may well be true. Kids may get into trouble. I know a thing or two about that.
‘But our kids are being targeted. The harmful effects of social media are made by design.’
On Monday, the Duke of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍, 40, appeared on stage in New York to discuss mental health and climate change with two young winners of a legacy award given in Princess Diana‘s memory.
But before taking to the platform, the King’s youngest son FaceTimed his wife, Meghan Markle, 43, and their children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, according to People magazine.
The publication wrote that Harry reportedly showcased the room to his family, giving them a little tour of the hotel space before taking part in the 14th Concordia Annual Summit in support of The Diana Award.
‘Backstage, he was actually calling Meghan. I thought that was just so sweet, and it helped humanise him,’ Diana Legacy Award winner Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, who joined Harry for the panel discussion on mental health, told the publication.
‘He made sure we had no nerves at all… He is just so kind-hearted. Not only was he helping us get comfortable with speaking on stage, but he comforted us after as well,’ added the award recipient.
Harry, who cracked his knuckles and looked nervous as he sat down on stage, spoke of the importance of mental wellness at the event, where participants talked about their climate anxiety.
He personally interviewed Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia and Christina Williams from Jamaica, who received The Legacy Award in memory of Princess Diana, joking: ‘For some reason I’ve been given the microphone to ask the questions.’
He told them: ‘I applaud you for having the confidence to be on this stage. I know my mother would be incredibly proud of you guys. Your activism is true to how my mother lived her life.’
Harry, wearing a navy suit and tie with a Diana Award pin on his lapel, asked: ‘Do you feel like leaders and people in positions of power are listening to you?’, adding that he wanted the The Diana Award to help their campaigning to tackle climate change and bring influence around the world.
And when asked what gives him hope for the future he said: ‘I have said it before years ago and I’ll say it again. The younger generation is what gives me hope. The courage you have gives me hope.
‘Everyone of us needs courage to move the dial in this world, probably more than ever. We need to listen and act on what you say because it is your future that will be stolen and that is unacceptable’.
