Prince Harry Calls for More Protection for Children on Social Media

Prince Harry is calling for more action to be taken to protect children on social media. During a webinar, hosted to mark the launch of the 5Rights Foundation's Global Child Online Safety Toolkit Prince Harry said that social media platforms need to do more to protect young people from abuse and exploitation.

The Duke of Sussex said that "Many of these systems are by design aiming to keep our kids hooked for years to come regardless of how their time online impacts their self-confidence, self-worth or safety" and is concerned over the 'hatred and harm' that has become normalised over social media.

Speaking not as an expert in the tech world but instead as a concerned parent , Prince Harry urged platforms to do more to protect children online. When speaking about his own children, the Prince had this to say:

"I am a father, and I'm lucky enough to be a father with a platform... My kids are too young to have experienced the online world, yet. And I hope they never have to experience it as it exists now."

"The internet business model is doing exactly what it's meant to do - pull us in, keep us scrolling, get us angry, anxious or make us numb to the world around us... That's bad enough when it's meant for adults, but even worse, it's meant to do the same to our kids"

The 5Rights Foundation have desecribed their toolkit as "a roadmap for policymakers and practitioners building a digital world that supports children and enables them to flourish, online and beyond." The Foundation wants to help protect data and privacy of young people, as well as their physical and mental safety.

The Prince's words come as many parents are concerned about the amount of time their children are spending online, and the negative impact it could be having on their mental wellbeing. It is clear that something needs to be done in order to protect children online, and it is great to see Prince Harry using his platform to raise awareness of this important issue.

Do you agree with Prince Harry? What do you think should be done to protect children online? Let us know on our socials @gospotlite.

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