Here are some photos of Prince Harry from yesterday and today. Yesterday, he did an event for Heads Together – he stopped by a YMCA in West London, took part in a kids’ ballet class and talked to parents and YMCA’s St. Paul’s Group about homelessness, mental illness and domestic violence. Today, he attended the twelfth annual Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch in aid of the three National Service Charities: ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. Busy couple of days for Harry, trying to get some events in before Meghan gives birth and he goes on paternity leave. The photos of Harry interacting with kids and at least one baby… well, Harry + Kids photos have always been great, but coming on the eve of fatherhood, he does seem especially broody.
Meanwhile, while he was doing the YMCA event, he spoke briefly about the problems of addictive social media:
Treading cautiously! Prince Harry delivered an empowering speech about the dangers of social media just one day after he and wife Duchess Meghan launched their joint Instagram account.
The Duke of Sussex, 34, met with mental health organizations on Wednesday, April 3, and warned that “we are in a mind-altering time” because social media” is “more addictive than alcohol and drugs.” Harry also expressed his concerns that young people will “probably end up getting bullied” if they don’t engage in social media” and it is so dangerous “because it’s normalized and there are no restrictions to it.”
As many royal reporters gleefully pointed out, Harry’s cautionary comments about social media came just a day after he and Meghan launched their new Instagram page. Like, the argument is that Harry is a hypocrite for speaking of the ills of social media (specifically among the youths) while maintaining a social media account. Which is such a stupid argument. It’s like saying a journalist can’t do a critical report on Twitter policies while still maintaining a Twitter account. Harry isn’t making the kind of broad statements like “all social media is garbage.” His criticism is that kids’ social media usage should be monitored by parents, and parents should know the dangers out there.
Photos courtesy of WENN and Avalon Red.
Of course he’s not a hypocrite. He’d be a hypocrite if he said something like “all social media is bad and no one should ever use it” but just commenting on how addictive it can be and how it can lead to bullying is not hypocritical IMO.
Although he probably wanted to say “so all you people who follow us obsessively on twitter and IG – for good and bad reasons – take a breather” lol.
It’s a sign of how old and out of touch the Royal reporters are (like Richard Palmer) when they try to say Fortnite and an IG account run by staff are the same thing. Clearly these “olds” don’t have a clue.
Exactly. Honestly Im sure Harry can’t wait for these old guard courtiers and reporters to die out. They are ill-equipped to understand what being a member of the BRF is and will be like going forward. They are stuck in the past and it shows. From their casual racism to stories like this. They are dinosaurs.
Elders who deserve respect don’t promote racist dogma.
#TeamValiantlyVarnished 🙂
Harry should have given a touch more thought to the timing of his speech and the launch of his IG.
OR people can simply stop being simple-minded and actually listen tonwhat he said. He wasn’t bashing social media. What he said was centered around CHILDREN and their use of social media.
Optics matter for Harry as much as they do for Meghan.
Common sense matters just as much as “optics”.
Yes and if Harry had a whit of common sense he would have known the royal reporters would have a field day with this.
Optics matter because people overeact and don’t use their common sense when it comes to public figures. To ignore the optics is to let someone else interpret your narrative. Some will do that regardless but it’s not wise to add fuel to the fire.
He mentions that there are positives and negatives to social media but overall, it should be closely monitored especially for minors.
There is nothing hypocritical about it.
Royal Reporters, as always, are looking for something to complain about when it comes to the Sussex.
I’m tired of the nitpicking. Most of the royal reporters’ stories about Harry and Meghan are so petty and ridiculous.
They’re using social media to promote themselves like everyone else is, so I don’t know if it’s that weird to point out a discrepancy in what he says (like when William says people should have less kids). The reasons behind his using social media aren’t any different from anybody else’s and maybe some obsessed people are checking his Instagram page to live vicariously through him and Meghan. So, no, I don’t think think it’s necessarily a stupid argument — it’s worth pondering like everything else we ponder about what famous people say.
Wouldn’t be surprised if some obsessed weirdos wind up fighting with each other right on his Instagram page (i.e Kate vs. Meghan, William vs. Harry, “my favourite royal is better than your favourite royal”, etc).
Okay Harry smiling at the little ballerinas makes me think and HOPE they are having a girl.
That’s what I got from these pictures too!
The way he walked straight to the baby in pink made me think the same.
I did too! He spotted her and jogged right over! He’s so sweet with children.
No wonder Wills is jealous–he just does not have that ease with the public. He’s getting better, but he still seems very aloof at times.
My heart just melted seeing the little one with a great big smile on his face for Harry!
He make some really good points!
No it doesn’t. Like someone said, this is just royal reporters showing their behind as usual.
Lol yeah this is dumb and he’s not a hypocrite of course. But even I kind of laughed and said “oh harry smh” when I read this. Where I work has a PR officer and while they of course wouldn’t be like “oh, welp, now that you launched a personal SM account you can never speak out about the internet ever again in any way”, they would have made sure we didn’t use this particular speech the Next Day. It’s silly and arbitrary so who cares in the grand scheme of things, and the fuddy duddy royal reporters are curmudgeons, but even I saw this one coming. Does their press officer not!? Who is it now, still KPs or has it switched to Meghan’s person yet?
Yeah, I don’t think it’s wrong they launched an Instagram page. But I think the timing of the speech hurt them. Makes people notice something they wouldn’t otherwise care to notice.
He said nothing hypocritical imo just common sense.
No being a hypocrite is preaching about the ills of overpopulation and siring three biological children.
Sorry couldn’t help myself…
We are now at the point where everything Harry and Meghan says will be criticized and misconstrued. They are easy targets for the media. Social media is wonderful, but its misuse is also a source of bullying, suicides, depression, and lots of other mental health issues. People are livestreaming rapes and murders and the social media companies are doing enough to stop it. Too much gaming and online activity isn’t healthy for adults, so I know it’s not healthy for children.
Am here for Harry the ballerina. He’s going to be a great father.
The RR r just pissy that SM is takin away from their own self importance, SM allows the royals to control their own narrative thus reducing the need to curry favour with the media dinosaurs.
1) It’s not hypocritical — the Sussex family is a “brand” of sorts and should have an Instagram account.
2) He’s going to be a wonderful dad.
I find it a great pity that logic and deductive reasoning are not taught as mandatory subjects from a very early age. The hysteria, the impulsive jumping to conclusions that characterises our 24/7 newscycle world not only bodes ill for the future, but would make those indulged in it pretty embarrassed if the simple fallacies in their claims are pointed out. In this case, however, they are for once correct.
Harry and Meghan’s Instagram page is the digital equivalent of the Court Circular. Inoffensive at first glance.
His points re addiction are substantiated both via scientific/qualitative study regarding addiction and brain activity, also used cynically and self-servingly by sites determining which elements may be made more addictive.
** Alas ** one of the sites using these addictive techniques is Instagram, its founder equating the refreshing of the page to the pulling of a handle on a gambling machine. It utilises elements of behavioural determinism and the “crack cocaine” approach to its site design.
Perhaps those PR staff members who opened KK’s IG site in the first place should have read the controversial nature of said site and its partners in crime, Facebook, and used a different platform entirely.
*Edit: KP’s account. My phone autocorrected to KK.
So unless you are a Luddite and swear off any use of any type of social media, you can’t criticize the awful aspects of social media? Mmkay then.
Richard Palmer the royal reporter has been salty in the past about Royal Family social media accounts- clearly because they practically make him obsolete and eliminate the middleman so to speak. As he and many other royal “reporters” basically just transcribe what the palace tells them about upcoming events.
Lol. EXACTLY.
Harry has a good strong core – looks like the yoga is paying off… ;D
Not as bad as saying they are too many people on the planet and then turn around and pop out a third child 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Google news reported he’s also wanting to ban Fortnite in the UK
Harry also said Fortnite shouldn’t be allowed. I like the one twitter comment that was like “stick to hunting and killing real animals Harry”. Like this comment was tone deaf the social media one is pretty spot on.
This is hilarious. Fortnite isn’t the problem either… again it comes down to setting limits for kids. It’s a beautiful game – but people are OBSESSED with it. Unfortunately, it’s a lot easier to let your kids play games all afternoon and night / weekends than it is to entertain them or keep them from bugging each other.
Is it hypocritical? Gray area, probably. I don’t think it’s an automatic ‘he can’t talk about that’, but I think it’s funny timing.
No he is not a hypocrite. What is hypocritical is the reporters diligently writing about heads together and not calling out the Cambridge’s for remaining silent about the bullying of a family member.
Yes social media addiction is bad. So it taking over with someone’s Instagram page without telling them. I guess what Harry wants, Harry gets.