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Sydney Morning Herald
25-04-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It's unacceptable, it's wrong': Prince Harry calls for change to protect children online
The Duke of Sussex has said life is 'better' when spent off social media. Prince Harry spoke out as he and wife Meghan unveiled a memorial in New York dedicated to children who have lost their lives because of the harms of the internet. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Prince said: 'Life is better off of social media. I say that as a parent, and I say that as someone who has spoken to many of the kids here tonight who aren't on social media because they have lost a brother or a sister to social media. 'But clearly enough is not being done. Some of the stories here are truly harrowing.' The installation unveiled by the couple on Thursday in Manhattan is made up of 50 smartphones that each display the picture of a child who died 'due to the harms of social media'. Loading The Duke, who set up the Parents' Network with Meghan as part of the couple's charitable Archewell Foundation, described some of the stories that made up the memorial as 'full-blown crime scenes'. He said: 'Having done this for the last three years and being aware of it for the last five years, you think you've heard the worst of it until nights like this here in America, some of these stories are … full-blown crime scenes.' The children's images were shared by parents who are part of the Parents' Network, which the couple launched last August as a resource for parents whose children have experienced harm on social media. The Sussexes attended a private vigil with the parents on Wednesday night.
The Age
25-04-2025
- General
- The Age
‘It's unacceptable, it's wrong': Prince Harry calls for change to protect children online
The Duke of Sussex has said life is 'better' when spent off social media. Prince Harry spoke out as he and wife Meghan unveiled a memorial in New York dedicated to children who have lost their lives because of the harms of the internet. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Prince said: 'Life is better off of social media. I say that as a parent, and I say that as someone who has spoken to many of the kids here tonight who aren't on social media because they have lost a brother or a sister to social media. 'But clearly enough is not being done. Some of the stories here are truly harrowing.' The installation unveiled by the couple on Thursday in Manhattan is made up of 50 smartphones that each display the picture of a child who died 'due to the harms of social media'. Loading The Duke, who set up the Parents' Network with Meghan as part of the couple's charitable Archewell Foundation, described some of the stories that made up the memorial as 'full-blown crime scenes'. He said: 'Having done this for the last three years and being aware of it for the last five years, you think you've heard the worst of it until nights like this here in America, some of these stories are … full-blown crime scenes.' The children's images were shared by parents who are part of the Parents' Network, which the couple launched last August as a resource for parents whose children have experienced harm on social media. The Sussexes attended a private vigil with the parents on Wednesday night.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Life is better off social media, says Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex has said life is 'better' when spent off social media. Prince Harry spoke out as he and wife Meghan unveiled a memorial in New York dedicated to children who have lost their lives because of the harms of the internet. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Prince said: 'Life is better off of social media. I say that as a parent and I say that as someone who has spoken to many of the kids here tonight who aren't on social media because they have lost a brother or a sister to social media. 'But clearly enough is not being done. Some of the stories here are truly harrowing.' The installation unveiled by the couple on Thursday in Manhattan is made up of 50 smartphones that each display the picture of a child who died 'due to the harms of social media'. The Duke, who set up the Parents' Network with Meghan as part of the couple's charitable Archewell Foundation, described some of the stories that made up the memorial as 'full-blown crime scenes'. He said: 'Having done this for the last three years and being aware of it for the last five years, you think you've heard the worst of it until nights like this here in America, some of these stories are … full-blown crime scenes.' The children's images were shared by parents who are part of the Parents' Network, which the couple launched last August as a resource for parents whose children have experienced harm on social media. The Sussexes attended a private vigil with the parents on Wednesday night. Prince Harry added that technology companies were 'getting away with it' by arguing they did not need to disclose information to families in the UK because of privacy considerations. 'You are telling a parent, you are telling a dad and a mum that they can't have the details of what their kid was up to on social media because of the privacy of their kid … It's wrong,' he said. Also speaking to the BBC, the Duchess added: 'No matter how polarised the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing we can all agree on is that children should be safe…and I think tonight these stories solidify that.' Asked what she would like to see change, she said: 'I think for those who do choose to be online and to be in social media as adults … that we get to set the example and really put as much good and joy into the world as we can.' The Duchess announced her return to social media, where she has amassed 2.8 million followers on Instagram, at the beginning of the year. She has since shared posts advertising her commercial brand, As Ever, and her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, as well as childhood pictures and a Valentine's tribute to her husband. When she rejoined the platform, it was said she planned to 'authentically share moments of joy and inspiration from her life'. The Duchess launched the @Meghan Instagram handle in the summer of 2022, but had never used it until January this year. Since then, she says, she has been committed to promoting a 'joyful and thoughtful' approach to online engagement that inspires positivity. While she recognises that there is still work to be done on social media, she is confident that by returning to Instagram, she can 'lead by example' in demonstrating how it can be used for good, a source said at the time. On Thursday, the Duchess said: 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. 'I think in many ways what we see through these parents is the hope and the promise of something better because every single one of them and their resilience is an example…we are just here to support them in such a huge way.' Speaking about their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, Prince Harry said: 'We're just grateful that our kids are too young to be on social media at this point.' Asked about what will happen when they are no longer able to avoid it, he added: 'One of the reasons why we're doing [this] is because us – collectively with all these parents – want to make sure that things are changed so that no more parents, no more kids are lost to social media. 'It's unacceptable, it's wrong. It's no longer a secret and yet these companies are given this power to be able to conceal the truth from parents as to why their kid took their life.' The couple have previously urged global leaders to address protections for young people in the digital sphere with 'urgency'. They have been increasingly campaigning for more rigorous controls of the digital sphere since 2024 and have previously discussed the threats posed by fake news and online abuse and bullying.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Prince Harry and Meghan Unveil NYC Memorial Honoring Children Lost to Social Media Harms
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled a temporary memorial in New York City on Wednesday, honoring children lost to social media-related harms. Established by the couple's Archewell Foundation, 'The Lost Screen' memorial features 50 illuminated smartphones, each displaying the lock screen photo of a child whose life was cut short because of social media. The images were shared by parents in the Archewell Foundation Parents' Network, many of whom came to New York to lay flowers at the display. The project calls for stronger online safeguards to better protect children. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined a group of approximately 50 affected families at the memorial for a private vigil on April 23. The memorial, located at the The Perch in midtown Manhattan, will be open for 24 hours. 'Life is better off of social media," Prince Harry said at the unveiling on Wednesday afternoon, according to People. "I say that as a parent, and I say that as someone who's spoken to many of the kids here tonight who lost a brother or a sister to social media. But clearly, enough is not enough. Enough is not being done.' After piloting the initiative in 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan launched the Parents' Network in August 2024 for parents in the U.S, the U.K, and Canada. "Our kids are young. They're three and five. They're amazing," Meghan told CBS News last year. "But all you want to do as parents is protect them. And so, as we can see what's happening in the online space, we know that there's a lot of work to be done there, and we're just happy to be able to be a part of change for good." Prince Harry spoke further about the Parents' Network in a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2024. 'Through trauma-informed practices, our Network helps parents come together to forge strong bonds, offering healing support through community,' the Duke of Sussex said at the time. 'This safe and free-to-access peer-support not only offers invaluable resources and advice, it is guided by a licensed facilitator, ensuring that no one has to navigate this journey alone. Our platform provides opportunity for parents to turn their pain into purpose, ultimately changing the very system that stole their child.' A virtual edition of the memorial will also be available online, featuring each child's story, with some parents contributing personal voice messages for visitors to hear. Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in New York earlier in the week to attend the 2025 Time100 Summit at Lincoln Center, where Meghan appeared for an on-stage interview with Time CEO Jessica Sibley. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
