Prince Harry Says Social Media Is Causing a "Crisis of Hate" & It Needs to Change

From Harper's BAZAAR

• Prince Harry discussed the perils of social media in a new essay for Fast Company.

• The Duke of Sussex previously showed his support for the #StopHateForProfit Facebook advertising boycott.

• "We have an opportunity to do better and remake the digital world," the prince explained.

Prince Harry may have stepped back as a senior member of the royal family, but he's still very much committed to making the world a better place.

In a new essay for Fast Company, the prince explained why social media is a particularly dangerous place for users right now, from companies tracking our shopping habits and fan affiliations to the widespread sharing of fake news. As a result, the Duke of Sussex is asking tech companies to do better and to help make the online world a safer place for everyone. As Harry reiterated, "Every time you click, they learn more about you. Our information, private data, and unknown habits are traded on for advertising space and dollars."

Harry also revealed that he and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had spoken with executives and business leaders in the social media space, sharing their message: "The digital landscape is unwell and companies like yours have the chance to reconsider your role in funding and supporting online platforms that have contributed to, stoked, and created the conditions for a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth."

One of the reasons, Harry shared, that he is so committed to changing social media is because of his new role as father. The duke wrote, "If we are susceptible to the coercive forces in digital spaces, then we have to ask ourselves—what does this mean for our children? As a father, this is especially concerning to me."

The prince continued, "It shouldn't be seen as a coincidence that the rise of social media has been matched by a rise in division amongst us globally." Amid a global pandemic and a crucial civil rights movement, social media is responsible for both positively connecting us and spreading hate. The solution, Harry mused, is in changing social media and the way individuals use it. "We have an opportunity to do better and remake the digital world," he explained, "to look at the past and use it to inform the future."

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