"Meghan Markle to Social Media: 'You Shall Not Pass!' – Why She's Wielding Her Royal Sword Against Online Trolls"
(Photo by Kevin Mazu/Getty)
(Photo by Andrew Esiebo/Getty)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are back with a mission that would make even Gandalf proud: taking on the dark forces of social media! In an interview on "CBS Sunday Morning," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their new initiative, The Parents Network, aimed at helping families deal with the not-so-social side of social media.
On her birthday, no less, Markle discussed why she shared her past suicidal thoughts during that Oprah tell-all. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t for the ratings. Meghan said she spoke out because, "I never want someone else to not be believed." Translation: "I’ve faced the trolls, and now I’m building an army."
The Parents Network, part of their Archewell Foundation, plans to support parents whose kids have been harmed by social media, which Harry pointed out can take a child from playing Candy Crush to a crushing reality in just 24 hours. "We’ve gone from ‘kids will be kids’ to ‘parents need to be first responders,’" said Harry, who’s apparently discovered the Internet is more dangerous than Quidditch.
As their own kids, Archie and Lilibet, are still in the cute-and-innocent phase, Harry and Meghan are already dreading the day they have to hand over an iPad. "We just want to protect them," said Markle, channeling every mom ever who’s tried to install parental controls.
The Parents Network is rolling out slowly, like a Wi-Fi signal on a rainy day, but with big ambitions. As Meghan puts it, "If we can look at the problem through the lens of a parent, maybe we can make the Internet a little less ‘Lord of the Flies’ and a bit more ‘Finding Nemo.’"