Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were named Humanitarians of the Year at Project Healthy Minds Gala for their work through The Parents Network , a program under their Archewell Foundation this week. The initiative supports families harmed by social media, addressing its profound impact on mental health, particularly among young people. The gala, hosted by Project Healthy Minds , a nonprofit offering free mental health services, highlighted the dangers of unregulated technology.
A conference further explored how social media affects young people and their families. Earlier this year, The Parents Network hosted an event displaying images of children lost to harms linked to social media, projected on giant smartphone screens, underscoring the crisis.
Accepting the award, Prince Harry cited a figure: “Four thousand. That’s how many families the Social Media Victims Law Center is currently representing.” He noted these families face immense challenges battling “some of the wealthiest, most powerful corporations in the world.” He accused tech giants of prioritizing profit over safety, with algorithms designed to “maximize data collection at any cost.” Prince Harry singled out Apple for user privacy violations and Meta for admitting privacy restrictions would cost billions. He also highlighted the dangers of artificial intelligence, referencing a study where researchers posing as children encountered harmful interactions with an AI chatbot every five minutes. “These were the company’s own chatbots working to advance their own depraved internal policies,” he said.
A key announcement was The Parents Network’s new partnership with ParentsTogether, an organization focused on family advocacy and online safety, to expand efforts to protect children from social media harms.
This is not the first time the couple has addressed these issues. In April, Prince Harry met with youth leaders in Brooklyn to discuss the profit-driven influence of tech platforms. In January, he and Meghan criticized Meta for undermining free speech after changes to its fact-checking policy. The event underscored growing concerns about the mental health toll of social media and the urgent need for reform in the tech industry.
A conference further explored how social media affects young people and their families. Earlier this year, The Parents Network hosted an event displaying images of children lost to harms linked to social media, projected on giant smartphone screens, underscoring the crisis.
Accepting the award, Prince Harry cited a figure: “Four thousand. That’s how many families the Social Media Victims Law Center is currently representing.” He noted these families face immense challenges battling “some of the wealthiest, most powerful corporations in the world.” He accused tech giants of prioritizing profit over safety, with algorithms designed to “maximize data collection at any cost.” Prince Harry singled out Apple for user privacy violations and Meta for admitting privacy restrictions would cost billions. He also highlighted the dangers of artificial intelligence, referencing a study where researchers posing as children encountered harmful interactions with an AI chatbot every five minutes. “These were the company’s own chatbots working to advance their own depraved internal policies,” he said.
A key announcement was The Parents Network’s new partnership with ParentsTogether, an organization focused on family advocacy and online safety, to expand efforts to protect children from social media harms.
This is not the first time the couple has addressed these issues. In April, Prince Harry met with youth leaders in Brooklyn to discuss the profit-driven influence of tech platforms. In January, he and Meghan criticized Meta for undermining free speech after changes to its fact-checking policy. The event underscored growing concerns about the mental health toll of social media and the urgent need for reform in the tech industry.
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