Duke and Duchess speak out against social media trolls
THE Duchess of Sussex has warned social media users not to feed the online trolls, as the Duke condemned the “shouting match” which benefits “all the wrong people”.
The Duke, speaking to young leaders in the Commonwealth via video call, said social media was “a lot of noise” competing for attention, in which people can “project their own pain across these platforms” to leave users consumed with negativity.
The Duchess, who spoke of the difficulties of being extra reliant on devices during the pandemic, urged people to break the habit of spreading offensive material to register their offence.
“Not sharing it,” she advised. “Not becoming part of the culture of saying ‘this is so horrible’ and sharing it. If it’s horrible, stop it right there.”
The couple were speaking from their new Californian home to four young leaders from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, each of whom has built a positive online community for their generation. They reserved warm words for the Queen and Commonwealth, as Prince Harry claimed a previous session in which they called on the organisation to acknowledge its dark past had enjoyed a “good reception”. “I think everything my grandmother wanted to achieve when she took this huge responsibility on, she’s managed,” said the Duke of the Commonwealth, as the Duchess added the work of young people was “a continuation of the legacy of your grandmother”.
Of social media, the Duke said: “Experts described it as an ‘attention economy’, which is basically a just shouting match which is benefiting the wrong
‘You can either train people to be cruel, or you can train people to be kind. It’s really that simple’
people. It’s on all of us collectively to make the world a better place – and we are.”
The Duchess added: “You can either train people to be cruel, or you can train people to be kind. It’s really that simple.” The couple also shared a glimpse into their new lives, revealing they have become friends with author and self-help guru Brene Brown who they “absolutely adore”.
Prof Brown, whose books include
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are is a favourite among celebrities and on social media.