Prince’s message to young people: forget ‘likes’ and take real action
Harry issues rallying cry in Toronto, urging teenagers to turn away from ‘clickbait’ culture and fake news
PRINCE HARRY has urged young people to turn away from “clickbait” culture and fake news, swapping social media “likes” for pro-actively changing the world.
The Prince issued a rallying cry to children and teenagers, asking them to concentrate on the real world over mobile phones and pledging to be their champion. Saying he understood their frustration at the “entrenched mindsets” of their forebears on subjects such as the environment, he urged them to abandon “pessimism and cynicism” and move forward.
The Prince, who is in Toronto for the Invictus Games, made an unannounced appearance at the Air Canada Centre, hosting about 10,000 young people all invited for a WE Day celebration of their voluntary and charity work.
WE Day is an event to celebrate the power of young people to make a positive difference in the world. Tickets to the Toronto event, which included a special Invictus Games segment, were given to children and teenagers who have volunteered in their communities or for charity this year.
The Prince told them: “The thousands of you gathered here are proof that today’s generation of young people is the most connected, most energised, and most confident the planet has ever known.
“You know that differences of opinion, of circumstance, of race and religion, are to be respected and celebrated.
“You know that in a clickbait culture, we cannot waste time sharing and drawing attention to things that make us angry, or that we know to be false. You all know that it’s great to ‘like’ things on social media, but that it’s more important to look up from our phones, to get out into our communities, and to take real action; to stand up for what you believe in.
“Sadly, I’m now part of a slightly older generation. But in the years to come I want to work with you to help encourage, identify and support the new generation of leadership, both local and global leaders.”
The Prince also spoke on the importance of saving the environment, a cause long championed by his brother,
‘It’s more important to look up from our phones, to get out into our communities, and to take real action’
the Duke of Cambridge, and their father, the Prince of Wales.
As young people screamed their approval in the arena, he said: “In today’s world, too many people feel cynical and apathetic.
“I know that you, more than any previous generation, care deeply about the health and sustainability of the planet you’re going to inherit.
“And I see that you’re frustrated that entrenched mindsets are not keeping pace with the urgency of the threats to our environment.
“But today you are all saying no to pessimism and cynicism.”
It was the second major speech of the week from the Prince, after he opened his Invictus Games on Saturday night with his girlfriend, Meghan Markle, in the audience. Since then, he has focused on engaging with young people around Toronto, asking them to be inspired by the example of wounded military servicemen and women who have overcome their injuries to compete in the Invictus Games.
Attending sporting events around the city, which he knows well as the home of Ms Markle, he has been photographed interacting with visitors of all ages, including one cheeky toddler who tried to poach his popcorn.