Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Launch Incredibly Important New Venture

This month, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially launched a new organization called The Parents’ Network through their charity, the Archewell Foundation. The Parents’ Network is aimed at addressing the rise of mental health issues in children due to social media use and related trauma. After a two-year pilot program proved successful, The Parents’ Network is now available throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Markle and Prince Harry broke the good news about The Parents’ Network on CBS Sunday Morning, sharing the results of the program so far and the hopes they have for the future. They shared heartbreaking stories about children and teens who have been seriously affected by cyberbullying, and even some who suffered suicide attempts due to online hate campaigns. The Parents’ Network is intended to provide resources and community for those children as well as their parents – both those who have lost a child and those who want to be proactive in protecting their kids.

Markle acknowledged that she has some experience of cyberbullying herself, though her fame makes it very different from the issues facing most teens. During the interview, Prince Harry pointed out that the real terror of this phenomenon is that it could happen to just about anyone. He said: “And that’s, I think, one of the scariest things that we’ve learned over the course of the last 16, 17 years that social media’s been around, and more so recently, is the fact that it could happen to absolutely anybody. We always talk about in the olden days if your kids were under your roof, you knew what they were up to; at least they were safe, right?And now, they could be in the next-door room on a tablet or on a phone and can be going down these rabbit holes. And before you know it, within 24 hours, they could be taking their life.”

Naturally, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also interested in exploring this issue before their own children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet become old enough to deal with it. Markle said: “Our kids are young; they’re three and five. They’re amazing.But all you want to do as parents is protect them. And so, as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there, and we’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good.”

Prince Harry added that parents need to be proactive, saying: “At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide. Like, that is the terrifying piece of this.”

The first and perhaps most impactful goal of The Parents’ Network is simply to connect the victims of online trauma and their families to one another, creating a sense of community and fighting back against the feelings of isolation that often come with grief. The organization also provides resources that can help prepare parents – showing them the signs to look out for, teaching them how to respond constructively and making sure they are not caught off guard by developments that weren’t common when they were younger. You can find out more about The Parents’ Network on the Archewell Foundation website.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.