Prince Harry and Meghan call out the harmful effects of social media on today’s youth

The guests sipped prosecco and chattered away while dessert was served at the third annual Project Health Minds Gala on Thursday night in New York.  

The evening was winding down, but there was still one big award to give out: Humanitarian of the Year, which this year would be honoring Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for creating The Parents Network through their nonprofit Archewell Foundation. The Parents Network supports families who have been harmed by social media.

Earlier this year, it hosted an event where the faces of young children were shown on giant smartphone screens; the children had lost their lives in ways their parents believe social media contributed to.  

Thursday’s Gala was hosted by the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds, which provides free access to mental health services, especially focusing on young people who are struggling in a world dominated by technology. The event, and the conference the following day, gave a look into how young people and their parents are seeing social media, and revealed the grave impact these platforms have had on mental health.