Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Discuss Cyberbullying in Rare Joint Interview

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Discuss Cyberbullying in Rare Joint Interview

This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call the U.S. Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text "TALK" to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for more Get resources.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle agreed to a rare joint interview to discuss the very serious issue of cyberbullying.

On Thursday, August 1, CBS Sunday Morning released a video interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, discussing their mission to protect their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, from potentially dangerous and harmful online content.

"Our children are very young, they are 3 and 5. They're great," Markle told CBS Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley. 'But what we want to do as parents is protect them. So that we can see what's going on in the online space, we know there's a lot of work to be done there.

In the clip, Pauly tells the couple that as parents, "when our kids ask for help, we would hope that there is someone there to give it to them."

"If you know how to help," Prince Harry interjects.

"At this point," Prince Harry continued, "we've gotten to the point where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. Even the best paramedics in the world will not be able to spot the signs of suicide."

"That's the frightening thing about this," the Duke added.

In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a recommendation titled "Social Media and Youth Mental Health," highlighting evidence that social media is actively harming youth mental health. In addition, the American Psychological Association (APA) also issued its own health advisory, warning of the potential harm from prolonged social media use.

In 2024, Dr. Marcy called for social media platforms to be labeled with a warning label by the Surgeon General, The New York Times reported at the time. Congress would be needed to implement these warning labels, but there has been no significant movement since Dr. Murphy's public request.

In 2023, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke candidly about their use of social media and how it can and is actively having a negative impact on the mental and emotional health of young people. Prince Harry called on social media companies to improve their content moderation policies to protect users.

"For us, the priority here is to turn pain into purpose," Prince Harry said at a panel discussion coordinated by the couple's Arkwell Foundation. The panel discussion, held in New York City, was part of the second annual Mental Health Awareness Festival, organized by the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds, and featured parents who have lost a child to suicide due to cyberbullying.

"People are hurting," Markle added. And people, especially children, are dying."

According to a recent APA report, more than 20% of teens have seriously considered death by suicide. A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that an increasing number of students, including 57% of teenage girls and 69% of LGBTQ+ students, say they feel a "persistent sense of sadness or hopelessness."

The full interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will air on CBS Sunday Morning on August 4.

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