Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share emotional new message | Royal | News
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a new message through the Archewell Foundation discussing “what it means to grow up in the digital age.” Explaining why the motivation behind their work is the safety of their two children, Harry and Meghan continue to shape digital spaces to make them healthier.
Their message read: “In its third year, the Archewell Foundation’s Insight Sessions continue to surface urgent truths about what it means to grow up in the digital age. This year we spoke to 106 young people aged 10 to 25 in Australia, Canada, Panama, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Sometimes hopeful, often contradictory, always honest, their words reveal a generation navigating unprecedented complexity.”
The couple’s statement continued: “But when asked to describe the same digital experience, they used words like ‘overwhelming,’ ‘confusing,’ and ‘overstimulating.’
“An American teenager captured this perfectly: ‘So much is thrust upon you that you don’t know what’s right and what isn’t… we live in an environment where we constantly have to second-guess everything.’
“This is not a generation that wants to abandon technology. Instead, they are asking leaders to understand how difficult it is to manage life in this environment and provide tools and guidance to help them not only cope, but also transform digital spaces into something healthier and safer.”
Harry and Meghan also touched on AI in their statements, adding: “AI has become non-negotiable in young people’s lives. Almost half identified personalized learning as the most positive use of AI and praised its ability to act as a free, accessible tutor.”
“However, over-reliance emerged as the biggest concern. Older participants expressed relief that they had developed critical thinking skills before the arrival of artificial intelligence, but worried that younger generations would not have this foundation. Manipulated content was among their second biggest fears. Younger women described deepfakes as ‘terrible’ and ‘the scariest thing ever’.”
“The rise of AI-generated misinformation threatens to erode trust in news, politics and public life at a moment when these young people are tired of constantly questioning what is real.”
The statement concluded: “Solutions are within reach, especially when we understand that young people are not just a problem to be solved, but are important partners in building the digital world we all deserve. The Archewell Foundation would like to thank all the partners and organizations who made this report possible.”
The couple attended Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala in New York last month. As they took to the stage, Harry said: “As our network has grown, we have seen the full scope of what we are facing. We have witnessed the explosion of unregulated AI, heard more and more stories from heartbroken families, and watched parents around the world become increasingly concerned about their children’s digital lives.”
