The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been named Humanitarians of the Year for their charity work.
Prince Harry and Meghan were presented with the award at the Project Healthy Minds gala, which aims to bring together champions of mental health, in New York on Thursday.
Accepting the award on stage, the couple used the moment to speak about the potential dangers social media can pose for young people, which Harry described as “one of the most pressing issues of our time”.
The couple have spoken regularly about the potential harms of social media, and the fears they have for their two children.
It comes after the pair’s Archewell Foundation – a non-profit they launched in 2020 – announced that its Parents’ Network support group initiative is joining forces with ParentsTogether, a non-profit organisation dedicated to family advocacy and online safety.
‘A pivotal moment… to protect children’
Speaking on Thursday, Harry said 4,000 families are currently taking legal action through the Social Media Victims Law Centre, having lost their children to social media.
He said: “Parents who have learned legal action is possible, who have the capacity to pursue it while grieving, and parents who’ve found their way to help in the fightback against some of the wealthiest, most powerful corporations in the world.
“And even after this, there may be no road to closure for grieving parents because these companies refuse to disclose their child’s information and activity on their platforms.
“This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in the digital age.”
He went on to hit out at the “explosion” of unregulated artificial intelligence (AI), saying both he and Meghan have seen the “full scope” of what the technology can do.
Meghan added that the couple often discuss how they would protect their own children, six-year-old Archie and four-year-old Lili, as they grow older.
“Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits while safeguarding against its dangers,” she said.
“That hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible.”
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In April, Harry and Meghan also called for tougher action to protect children from the potential harms of social media.
While helping to unveil a temporary memorial to young people who have died after being exposed to online content, in New York, the duke said in a statement: “These children were not sick. Their deaths were not inevitable – they were exposed to, and in many cases were pushed harmful content online, the kind any child could encounter.
“No child should be exploited, groomed, or preyed upon in digital spaces. To the platforms, they may be seen as statistics. To their families, they were cherished and irreplaceable.”
Since stepping down as working royals in 2020, Harry and Meghan have been awarded various accolades, including a civil rights award from the NAACP and the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award, both in 2022.
Both are involved with various charities, but in recent months, some of those that work with Prince Harry have made headlines.
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On Wednesday, the non-profit organisation African Parks, which is partially run by Prince Harry, had its mandate for managing wildlife reserves in Chad removed by the country’s government, after being accused of a lack of investment in wildlife reserves, and not doing enough to stop poaching.
In August, the duke dramatically stepped down as patron from Sentebale – a charity established in 2006 to help children and young people in southern Africa, particularly those with HIV and AIDS – following a dispute with the charity’s chairperson Dr Sophie Chandauk.
