Prince Harry: 'The Smartphone is stealing young people’s childhoods'
The Duke of Sussex is concerned that smartphones and social media are impacting the youth in a negative way.
Prince Harry is spotlighting a serious conversation that many parents have pondered at some point - the effects of smartphones and social media on children.
The 40-year-old sat down with Jonathan Haidt, author of 'The Anxious Generation', to discuss how technology affects the youth's mental health.
The pair held the discussion on World Mental Health Day, October 10. In a video shared on Forture Well, Harry tells Jonathan: “In many cases, the smartphone is stealing young people’s childhood."
Harry, who has two young children with his wife Meghan - Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, says social media platforms often shift the responsibility of managing children's exposure to harmful content to the parents.
“It’s very easy for social media companies to point the finger at parents and say, ‘Well, you know, this is down to you. This is down to your parenting.’”
Jonathan does not believe it is that simple.
"If there were some parents who were getting this wrong and most parents were getting it right, then I’d be very receptive to that argument. But once kids get a phone and social media, the rest of family life turns into a fight over screen time. And this is happening everywhere."
He added: "The tech companies put us in a bind, and then they’re trying to blame us for what they did."
The social psychologist says we are overprotecting our children in the real world and underprotecting them online.
"And both of those moves are mistakes. They are bad for development."
ALSO READ: Meghan Markle calls for social media safety
Harry says parents can no longer say that their children are safe under their roof due to the dangers associated with smartphones and social media.
"A lot of the parents we have spoken to, some of the stories incredibly harrowing, they also talk about the banning of phones and the conflict that creates between parents and their children. And, obviously, a lot of parents give their children phones at a younger age to keep them safe. It's a double-edged sword."
The Duke of Sussex says many parents want their children to have their phones at school in case of an emergency.
Jonathan understands why parents would give their kids access to a phone for their safety; however, he says, "Just don’t give them a supercomputer connected to everyone in the world."
Watch Harry and Jonathan's full discussion here.
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Image credit: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Misan Harriman