Prince Harry-Meghan Markle call for stricter social media laws, unveil memorial for kids lost to online harm

Of the many causes they support, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been vocal about stronger social media protection especially for kids to save them from online harm. Speaking on these lines, the Duke and Duchess recently urged the need for stronger protections for children online, saying that “not enough is being done” to address the growing dangers of social media.


During a heartfelt event in New York City on April 24, Harry and Meghan unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial — which is a powerful installation made up of 50 glowing, smartphone-shaped boxes, as per reports. Each box features the photo of a child whose life was tragically lost, with families believing social media played a role in their deaths.


Talking about the idea behind the memorial, Harry told BBC Breakfast, “We want to make sure things change, so no more kids are lost to social media."


“Life is better off social media,” he added, sharing how grateful he is that his own children-- Archie and Lilibet-- are still too young to be online.


At an Archewell Foundation event, Harry opened up about the complex reality parents face these days. “The easiest advice is to keep your kids away from social media — but the sad truth is, kids who aren’t online often get bullied because they’re left out,” said Prince Harry.


The memorial, open to the public for 24 hours, was created with the help of grieving parents from the Archewell Foundation’s Parents’ Network. For the unversed, it is a support group for families affected by social media harm. These brave parents shared their children’s stories in hopes of bringing a positive change in the society and preventing more kids from being harmed by social media.


Harry and Meghan have been strong advocates for those families, also backing a push for tech companies to give grieving parents access to their child’s phone data — a move some firms have resisted, citing privacy laws. Talking about it, Prince Harry further said, “You’re telling a mum or dad they can’t know what their child was doing online — because of privacy? That’s just wrong.”


Meghan too echoed Prince Harry's sentiments, calling this a global issue that affects every parent. “If there’s one thing we should all agree on, it’s that children deserve to be safe... These parents are speaking out not just from grief, but from hope — hope that no one else has to go through what they’ve faced," she said.

Meghan also posted a video about the NYC Lost Screen Memorial on her social media. Her post read, "An important and emotional evening last night in NY as we unveiled #NoChildLostToSocialMedia with parents and families who have lost their children to online harms. My husband and I have worked with many of these families for the last several years, and through The Archewell Foundation and our program The Parents’ Network, we support them in their grief and stand with them in their call for action."


It further read, "No matter how divided the world may be, we can all agree that we want our children to be safe from harm. That is a universal truth. If you choose to be on social media, let’s be the example for our youth, sharing goodness and kindness and positivity. Let’s tell our children that they are enough, and that this life is worth living. And let’s ensure that no child is lost to social media. With your support, we can effect change."


What are your views on the negative effects of social media? Do you think there's a need for stricter laws to safeguard kids online? Tell us in the comments section below.