Prince Harry believes smartphones are “stealing young people’s childhoods”.
The Duke of Sussex will mark World Mental Health Day on Thursday (10.10.24) by social psychologist Jonathan, author of The Anxious Generation, to explore the impact of social media and technology on young people.・Held a discussion session with Hite.
In a video shared with Fortune Well as part of an Archewell Insight session, Harry said, “In many cases, smartphones are robbing young people of their childhoods.”
The authors agree, noting that people born after 1995 are experiencing higher rates of anxiety and depression as they enter adolescence, adding: They compete with each other for children’s attention.
“In short, the Anxious Generation is helping us understand the incredibly destructive power of this childhood change…and how to prevent it from happening and It helps us understand what we can do now to help those who are already going through it.”
Jonathan advocates no social media until age 16 and no smartphones until high school.
Harry said: “It’s very easy for social media companies to blame parents and say, ‘Well, you know, this is your fault.'” This depends on your parenting. ”
But Jonathan insisted:
“But once kids get phones and social media, the rest of family life turns into a fight over screen time. And this is happening everywhere.”
The prince, who has two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, recognizes that some parents buy devices to keep their children safe. He sees the device as a “double-edged sword.” .
he said: “It’s a double-edged sword. We want them to have cell phones at school in case of an emergency, but like any other child, once they have a cell phone, even if they don’t download the app, Even if they are told it is prohibited, children have ways to get around it.”
Jonathan argued: “If you want to give your kids a phone, so they can call you if something goes wrong, that’s fine. Give them a phone. Just don’t give them a supercomputer that connects them to everyone in the world… We don’t do that.’ That’s what we need. ”
Harry then raised the idea that there is a positive element to social media that provides an “outlet” for children who feel they don’t have a voice.
He said: “To a large extent, we know that social media provides an outlet, an additional resource, for children who may not feel comfortable coming to us to talk about their problems, worries, and concerns. Masu.
“Kids online will feel more connected to complete strangers on social media. So if you’re a parent, how can you help your child do well on social media?” Is it possible to know?”
The psychologist argued that it was “absolutely not true” that “social media is a lifeline for LGBTQ children, for children from marginalized communities.”
He said: “In the ’90s, the internet solved all these problems. If you were a gay kid, you wouldn’t date anyone in rural America or England, but the internet was great. You could find information. You can find people like you and communicate with them.
”[But with social media] I am no longer the only one connected to you.
“Now we have news feeds that send content based on algorithms, and that’s not what they need. If you have a special interest, just search on Google. It’s not about giving them something. There is no need for an algorithm.”
