Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are ready to take on the world of social media!
In a new op-ed published in Fast Company on Thursday, the Duke Of Sussex decided to speak out about misinformation online, something he and his wife have come to know all too well. and what they plan to do to enact real change.
Related: Meghan Scores BIG Legal Win To Protect Friends’ Identities In Ongoing Case!
The 35-year-old wrote:
“A little over four weeks ago, my wife and I started calling business leaders, heads of major corporations, and chief marketing officers at brands and organisations we all use in our daily lives. Our message was clear: The digital landscape is unwell and companies like yours have the chance to reconsider your role in funding and supporting online platforms that have contributed to, stoked, and created the conditions for a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth.”
Inneresting!
So, what conclusions did they draw from this research? That society needs to “remodel the architecture of our online community in a way defined more by compassion than hate; by truth instead of misinformation; by equity and inclusiveness instead of injustice and fearmongering; by free, rather than weaponised, speech.”
Clearly Harry is ready to see this happen, but he added real change will only occur if “industry leaders” take part in this:
“Because, if we are susceptible to the coercive forces in digital spaces, then we have to ask ourselves—what does this mean for our children? As a father, this is especially concerning to me.”
Archie Harrison‘s dad went on to explain the dangers of online hatred and intolerance on developing minds, something he obviously does not want his own son to experience, referencing a study previously done about the effects of lead on children’s growth:
“In the 1970s, there was a groundbreaking study on the societal effects of lead exposure and kids. The research found a clear connection between lead accumulation in children and their mental development. There’s no debate over the dangers of lead today, but at the time, the development was met with strong resistance from industry leaders (lead was used widespread in products like gas, house paint, and water pipes). Eventually, sweeping health and environmental reforms were put in place to change this. We knew something was harmful to the health of our children, so we made the necessary changes to keep them safe, healthy, and well.”
He noted:
“Researchers I’ve spoken with are studying how social media affects people — particularly young people — and I believe the book of data that we will look back on one day will be incredibly troubling.”
This new op-ed from Harry comes as both he and his wife are involved in ongoing legal battles against paparazzi in the US, and the Associated Newspapers publisher in the UK.
Harry continued that this is only “the beginning” of a bigger movement to change the digital landscape:
“Our hope is that it’s the beginning of a movement where we, as people, place community and connection, tolerance and empathy, and joy and kindness above all. The internet has enabled us to be joined together. We are now plugged into a vast nervous system that, yes, reflects our good, but too often also magnifies and fuels our bad. We can — and must– encourage these platforms to redesign themselves in a more responsible and compassionate way. The world will feel it, and we will all benefit from it.”
Read more from Harry HERE!
We’re interested to see how this fits in with Archewell when they launch. Any thoughts on what Harry had to share, y’all? Let us know (below) in the comments!!
[Image via John Rainford/WENN.]
The post Prince Harry Calls For End To Social Media’s ‘Crisis Of Hate’ As He & Meghan Markle Aim To Bring ‘More Compassion’ appeared first on Perez Hilton.
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