Prince Harry Gets Candid About the Dark Side of Social Media
Prince Harry has long been an advocate for mental health awareness amongst young people, and during today's visit to a west London YMCA, the royal got candid about some of the most pressing issues affecting children and teenagers today. He particularly warned against the dangers of social media, calling it “more addictive than drugs and alcohol.”
Speaking to a panel of leaders from a wide variety of organizations, Harry engaged in conversation about ways charities can come together to offer more support for young people. The group session was organized by the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together campaign, which Harry founded alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2016.
“There’s too much negativity surrounding mental health, and no wonder it must be so hard for young people to talk about it,” he said during the conversation with representatives from British charities including Young Minds; Student Minds; Muslim Youth Helpline; transgender support group Mermaids; SafeLives, which helps domestic abuse victims; eating disorder charity Beat; and anti-bullying organization Ditch the Label.
He continued, “Look at growing up in today’s world. Social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol and it’s more dangerous because it’s normalized and there are no restrictions to it. We are in really quite a mind-altering time, but quite an exciting time, because everyone in this room has the opportunity to make a real difference and change the times.
“[It’s important that] younger people coming through are less connected to their phones-well, they can be just as connected to their phones if they want to be, but they have to have the human connection as well. Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go. And the only place you might go is back online.”
He added that addictive video games like Fortnite, which has over 250 million registered players worldwide, are also a cause for concern. Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation included “gaming disorder” in a new draft of its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) after addiction to online multiplayer games like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds saw a dramatic rise.
"There is too much negativity surrounding mental health. No wonder it's so hard for young people to actually talk about it.” -Prince Harry
“That game shouldn’t even be allowed,” he said. “What is the benefit of having that game in your household, no matter what age you are? It’s created as an addiction to keep you in front of a computer as long as possible.”
Prince Harry’s comments come after a recent NHS study in the U.K. revealed that one in every eight young people aged 5 to 19 (assessed in 2017) had at least one mental health issue. The results also showed that boys were more likely to suffer than girls by the age of 11, but between the age group of 17 to 19, girls are more than twice as likely to have a mental health disorder than young men.
During the conversation, Harry also expressed worries over lack of funding for organizations and a lack of mentors for young people in schools, saying that there needs to be more support for teachers. He added that charities also need to focus on sharing their success stories with the world. “Most of the people I've met who've been through a really dark place, 99% of them have come through it and found mechanisms to carry on with their normal life or have made serious adjustments in their life to be able to cope,” he shared. “You, as charities, I don't believe necessarily put those people forward. Those are the icons, the people that young people need to see and hear their stories. There is too much negativity surrounding mental health. No wonder it's so hard for young people to actually talk about it.”
While the engagement was originally scheduled to run for an hour, Harry-who was in great spirits during the afternoon visit-was keen to stay for a further 30 minutes as he met with mentors, volunteers, and young people who have leaned on the YMCA during difficult times.
YMCA South Ealing is part of the YMCA St. Paul’s Group, which provides services across London and is one of the largest in Europe. The organization provides housing for 151 young people who are dealing with a range of problems such as homelessness, mental illness, recovering from substance misuse, or are fleeing domestic violence. Over 17,000 young people are aided by the YMCA’s mental health support in England and Wales every year, using a holistic trio of services focusing on mind, body and spirit.
During the engagement, Harry met with parents and young children who use a nursery service run by the YMCA. One of the classes that helps raise much-needed funds to keep resources in action is the Y Active ballet class for children between four and six.
Jade Groves, a Royal Academy of Dance graduate who volunteers as a teacher at the sessions, tells BAZAAR.com that Harry was “a natural” with the kids, who were thrilled to meet the prince. “They were so excited to see Prince Harry and he was a great sport,” she says. “He was asking the girls how long they had been doing the ballet for.”
Harry even took part in a balancing competition with some of the children, standing on one leg as other children in the activity room giggled. “He has fantastic skills,” joked Groves.
Mother Maria Ahmad brought her daughter to the class and sat with her three-month-old, Naz, to cheer her on. Harry, who is set to become a father with wife Duchess Meghan later this month, was immediately drawn to the baby, crouching down to introduce himself. “He was asking about her sleeping,” Ahmad says. “I think he is worried about that... He needs to be ready to wake up at night time and change nappies!”
While visiting a YMCA ballet class for young kids, Harry chatted to Maria Ahmad and her three-month-old girl Naz: "He was so excited and happy about the baby. He was asking about her sleeping - I think he's worried about that - and if she sleeps at night time."
??: @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/veU9voNJ0n- Omid Scobie (@scobie) April 3, 2019
In another room, Harry met young people from YMCA's Mental Health Champions campaign and learned more about the #IAMWHOLE campaign, which encourages young people to speak openly about their mental health issues.
Sophia Zahra, 21, from Wales was helped by the YMCA as a 17-year-old carer [someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol] and now works for YMCA Swansea’s Young Carer project. “Prince Harry brings much-needed attention to young people, especially men, and their mental health,” she tells BAZAAR.com. “It’s amazing for people who are struggling [with mental health] to see Prince Harry, who is so inspiring and has spoken about his own experiences.”
She continues, “He was very empathic and understanding. We spoke about environment and how it can play a huge part in your mental health. He spoke about using social media in a positive way to normalize the conversation about mental health. He said it can be a positive thing and a negative.”
"Let’s keep reminding each other that it’s okay to not be okay, and to listen to each other." -Prince Harry
As Harry wrapped up the roundtable session he thanked each charity representative for devoting their time to such an important cause. “Every single one of us in here can suffer from mental health,” he said. “There continues to be huge progress in smashing the stigma that surrounds mental health, but let’s keep normalizing the conversation. Let’s keep reminding each other that it’s okay to not be okay, and to listen to each other. After all, how we think determines how we act, how we feel and how we treat ourselves and those around us.”
('You Might Also Like',)
