Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited batyr, an Australian mental health group focused on youth education and stigma reduction during the third day of their visit to the country
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During a discussion with young people, Meghan reflected on her experience with social media, saying she has been "bullied and attacked" every day for the last 10 years
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Prince Harry also commented on the benefits of therapy and Australia's under-16s social media ban
Meghan MarkleandPrince Harryspoke openly about their mental health and social media as they visited an organization dedicated to helping young people during their trip to Australia.
On Thursday, April 16 (local time), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visitedbatyrat Swinburne University ofTechnology on their third day away. Batyr is an Australian youth mental health charity focused on preventative education and early intervention, working mostly with young people to reduce stigmas and encourage those in need of help to reach out.
The organization targets its efforts through peer-to-peer programs in schools, colleges and workplaces, utilizing lived experience storytelling to spark conversations around mental health and empowering youth with the tools to seek support for themselves and others.
During a discussion with young people associated with the group, Meghan, 44, commented that she was “bullied and attacked” every day for 10 years on social media and was “the most trolled person in the entire world."
The Duchess said that social media companies were “not incentivized to stop," PA Media reported, adding that she can "speak to that really personally, which is why I like to listen, because it rings true for me in a very real way."
“For now, 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world," she continued while speaking in a classroom, noting, “Now, I’m still here."
“And when I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realize that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks — that’s not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that," Meghan added.
Harry, 41, also noted that social media has “led to so much loneliness for so many people," PA Media reported, before he shared the benefits of therapy with the group.
“I waited until I was literally in the fetal position, much older, lying on the kitchen floor," Harry said. “Until I was like, okay maybe this therapy thing — maybe I should try it.”
The Duke also shared how he was "not a city person," adding, "My mental health could not stand living in a city — no way.”
Elsewhere in the discussion with the group, Harry commented on Australia's ban on children under 16 using social media.
"Australia took the lead," Harry said, PA Media reported. "Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban. Now we can sit here and debate the pros and cons of a ban — I’m not here to judge that. “All I will say is from a responsibility and leadership standpoint — epic. Because so many countries have now followed suit, but it should have never got to a ban.”
Mental health has long been a focus of Harry and Meghan's charitable endeavors, and theirsussex.combios describe them both as advocates for mental health.
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Harry and Meghan have also long spoken publicly about the dangers social media can pose to young people. Through their foundation, recently renamed Archewell Philanthropies, they have made online safety, particularly how social media can affect children and teens’ mental health, a central focus of their advocacy.
That mission became increasingly urgent through Archewell’s Parents’ Network, an initiative created to support families whose children have been harmed by social media platforms and to connect them with others going through similar situations.
The couple's four-day trip to Australia takes them to engagements across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, with a program focused on mental health, community resilience and supporting veterans and their families, plus private meetings and special projects.
A statement from their office said that mental health and youth empowerment were key themes of their Australian agenda, with their visits to batyr andHarry's solo stop at Movemberhighlighting this commitment.
Prince Harry and Meghan made time for another mental health-related engagement later on Thursday, attending the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne.
Ahead of the event, InterEdgesaidthat it "will explore the vital space where individual wellbeing and organizational responsibility meet — highlighting how workplaces can foster environments that support mental health, safety, and genuine professional care."
The Duke of Sussex willbe a keynote speaker on workplace mental health, delivering remarks in person.
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In the fall, Prince Harry and Meghanreceived the Humanitarians of the Year Award at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Galain New York City, accepting the recognition for their efforts to build a better online world for families and youth, in addition to their contributions to advance mental well-being worldwide.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have both openly spoken about what helps their mental health, with Meghan previously revealing that shesets tight boundaries to protect her mental health. Meanwhile, Harry said at the Movember event on April 15 that hewent to therapy to find claritybefore their children,Prince Archie, 6, andPrincess Lilibet, 4, were born.
“Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids," the father of two said on stage in conversation with Movember’s global director of men’s health research, Dr. Zac Seidler. “And I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with and therefore, prepare myself to basically cleanse myself of the past."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at988lifeline.org24/7.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited batyr, an Australian mental health group focused on youth education and stigma reduction during ...
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