Prince Harry has hit out at the impact smartphones are having on young people in a candid chat to mark World Mental Health Day (Image: (Image: Getty)) News (Image: (Image: Getty))
The Duke of Sussex has spoken out about an over-reliance on smartphones with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt for World Mental Health Day, in which he discussed the impact of their usage on young people
Prince Harry has voiced his concerns about the impact of smartphones on today’s youth in a conversation with Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation and social psychologist.
In a video shared with Fortune Well to commemorate World Mental Health Day on October 10, the Duke of Sussex, 40, initiated their discussion by claiming that “in many cases, the smartphone is stealing young people’s childhood,” drawing attention to the increasing reliance children have on these handheld devices.
Despite appearing as a bold statement, Haidt concurred with the Duke’s evaluation and proceeded to underscore how numerous individuals born post-1995 in English-speaking nations had started experiencing puberty with heightened levels of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, all directly linked to their interactions with smartphones.
Reinforcing the need for responsibility regarding this issue, Harry challenged the widespread misbelief that “social media companies point the finger at parents” for the escalating mental health crisis, quoting firms that state: ” ‘Well, you know, this is down to you. This is down to your parenting.’
Yet Haidt quickly countered this idea, explaining: “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,” he contended. “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.”
“The tech companies put us in a bind, and then they’re trying to blame us for what they did,” Haidt added.
Despite the numerous drawbacks of smartphones, Prince Harry acknowledged that many parents feel reassured knowing their child has a phone to contact them in an emergency at school. To this, Haidt replied, “Give them a phone. Just don’t give them a supercomputer connected to everyone in the world.”, reports the Mirror.
As a devoted dad to two young ones, Prince Archie, aged 5, and Princess Lilibet, aged 3, Harry suggested that many youngsters see platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat as vital connections to their peers, a notion which Haidt labelled as a prevalent “myth”.
He pointed out: “The research, I think, is very clear: When kids have a best friend or especially a small group [of friends], they generally do well,” Haidt asserted. “When kids don’t have a close friend or close group, they’re much less likely to do well. When you have 300 connections, you don’t have time for anyone.”
“This year, 2024, is the turning point. Terrible things have happened to our kids. We see that now… I don’t want to blame any parent because we didn’t know this 10 years ago,” Haidt concluded.
The discussion took place a month after Harry underscored the perils of social media and children’s exposure to online content at a Clinton Foundation event.
During an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning to talk about Archewell foundation’s work in spotlighting the risks of social media, Duchess Meghan shared her husband’s worries. She remarked: “Our kids are young – they’re 3 and 5. They’re amazing. But all you want to do as parents is protect them. 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.”
Harry added, “At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide. That is the terrifying piece of this.”
