Prince Harry: 'Smartphones are stealing young people's childhoods'

Prince Harry fears smartphones are "stealing young people's childhood."

In a candid conversation with The Anxious Generation author, Jonathan Haidt, the royal discussed the impact of phones and social media on young people for World Mental Health Day

In the video, shared by Fortune Well, Haidt explains those born in English-speaking countries after 1995 have higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicide once they hit puberty as a result of smartphones. 

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"In many cases, the smartphone is stealing young people's childhood," Harry remarked.

The royal then asked about idea that social media companies "point the finger at parents" for the increasing mental health crisis: "It's very easy for social media companies to ... say, 'Well, you know, this is down to you. This is down to your parenting.'"

Haidt disagreed.

"If there were some parents who were getting this wrong and most parents were getting it right, then I'd be very receptive to that argument," he said. 

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"But once kids get a phone and social media, the rest of family life turns into a fight over screen time. And this is happening everywhere.

"The tech companies put us in a bind, and then they're trying to blame us for what they did."

The conversation turned more personal, with Harry discussing being a father to son Archie, five, and daughter Lilibet, three, and what he has learnt about the topic as a parent. 

He explained that through The Archewell Foundation Insight Sessions, he discovered many parents feel safer with their children having phones in case of an emergency. 

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Harry's life was shaped by comment made minutes after birth

"If you want to give your kid a phone, so if anything goes wrong they can call you, great. Give them a phone. Just don't give them a supercomputer connected to everyone in the world," Haidt replied. 

The pair then discussed the notion social media is used as an "outlet" for young people, who find the platforms to be a "lifeline".

"The research, I think, is very clear: When kids have a best friend or especially a small group [of friends], they generally do well," Haidt said. 

"When kids don't have a close friend or close group, they're much less likely to do well. When you have 300 connections, you don't have time for anyone."

"This year, 2024, is the turning point. Terrible things have happened to our kids. We see that now... I don't want to blame any parent because we didn't know this 10 years ago."

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