Harry warns of social media impact on children’s mental health

The Duke of Sussex has railed against social media companies, claiming they “farm our children’s mindset and market it for themselves”.

Harry said there were some “evil wicked people at the heart of this” in a podcast interview with US comic Hasan Minhaj and when asked if he would become a US citizen replied he had “no plans” at this point.

In lighter moments the duke, who lives in California after stepping down as a working royal in 2020, tries to put on a US accent, says he has “chicken legs”, and reveals the most US thing he has done is take up surfing.

The royal has long campaigned to raise awareness about the harms of social media and told the Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know podcast: “People look to governments to protect them and yet we have this lawlessness within this particular industry.

“Where as far as they’re concerned accountability slows down innovation, the power and the decision making rests with the few rather than the many.

“The incentives are all wrong, the incentives are to keep kids online for as long as possible, to farm and process your thinking, your thoughts and literally keep you there for as long as possible so they can make as much money as possible.”

Harry’s Archewell Foundation launched its Parents’ Network a few years ago to give support to families whose children have been impacted by social media.

The duke, who has two children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, said he discussed the issue with wife Meghan: “We talk about it a lot and I think, because of what we know, now we will be way more cautious and hesitant of allowing our kids to have access to social media, but the problem is that so many parents don’t have that awareness.”

He went on to say during the chat with Minhaj: “I think we should snap out of it and just acknowledge the reality of the fact that there’s some really evil wicked people at the heart of this, who want to farm our children’s mindset and market it for themselves.

“There is no free will on social media as it stands.”

Harry also used the discussion about social media to add his voice to the experts raising the “alarm bell” about unregulated artificial intelligence which he claimed would “cause more harm then good”.

The two men began their chat by joking about Harry’s ability to put on a US accent and the comic and actor coached the royal in how to say “I ordered breadsticks with ranch dressing at Applebee’s” like he was born in US.

During a quick fire round of questions Harry was asked if he will become a US citizen and replies: “There are no plans to be at this point.”

And they joked about the actor receiving a knighthood from Harry who tells him all they need is a sword.