Harry and Meghan call for stronger social media protections for children

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have recently made headlines by advocating for stronger protections for children against the dangers of social media. They unveiled a poignant memorial in New York City, which features 14 smartphone-shaped light-boxes, each displaying a photograph of a child. This memorial is dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe that harmful online content contributed to their tragic deaths. During the unveiling, Prince Harry expressed his concerns, stating, 'We want to make sure that things are changed so that. no more kids are lost to social media. ' He emphasized that life is better without social media and expressed gratitude that his own children are still too young to be exposed to it. At an event organized by their Archewell Foundation, Prince Harry acknowledged the challenges of simply keeping children away from social media. He pointed out that children who do not participate in social media often face bullying at school because they feel excluded from conversations that their peers are having. This reality is heartbreaking for many families. The installation, known as the Lost Screen Memorial, consists of 50 light-boxes, each representing a child who lost their life due to the negative impacts of social media. The images displayed were shared by parents who are part of the Parents' Network, a support group established by Prince Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation. This network aims to assist parents whose children have suffered harm from social media. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been actively supporting families who believe that social media played a role in their children's deaths. They have been vocal in their calls for technology companies to allow parents access to information regarding their deceased children's online activities, despite privacy concerns. Prince Harry criticized tech companies for using privacy as an excuse to withhold information from grieving parents. He stated, '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. ' Meghan echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the dangers of social media are a global issue. She commended the parents who are bravely speaking out, saying, 'I think in many ways what we see through these parents is the hope and the promise of something better, because. they just want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.