The royal appeared virtually
at the 5Rights Foundation’s Global Child Online Safety Toolkit from his home in
California.
He joined representatives from
the United Nations, European Union, and African Union, as well as many aged
13-21 from across the world to call for a safer digital world for the youth.
The Duke of Sussex spoke of
the “ground-breaking” work that the Foundation was doing in this
regard, and criticized social media companies for making “unimaginable
money” by harnessing the time and attention of people.
He further opened up about how
he desired to protect his own two kids from such a world, saying: “My kids
are too young to have experienced the online world yet and I hope that they
never have to experience it as it exists now – No kid should have to.”
He further elaborated:
“The internet business model is doing exactly what it’s meant to do – let
us in and keep us scrolling, get us angry, anxious, or make us numb to the
world around us.”
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Harry and Meghan aim to protect them from the hazards of the online world
Harry further expanded on the
adverse effects this had on adults versus kids, who are a lot more
impressionable and can easily be hooked.
He talked more about his own
kids, adding: “My two little ones are still of the age of innocence.
“Sometimes I feel I can
keep them away from the online harms that they could face in the future forever
but I am learning to know better.
“As parents, my wife and
I are concerned about the next generation growing up in a world where they are
treated as digital experiments.”
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are doting parents
He shared his hopes for a
changing digital world, saying: “The online world is changing and it’s on
every single one of us to make sure that the change ahead prioritizes our
children’s right to a safe and happy future.”
