Former American actress Meghan Markle and British Prince Harry recently opened a memorial at The Perch rooftop near Penn Station in the Big Apple. The installation, titled “The Lost Screen,” features 50 large smartphone-shaped screens, each illuminated and displaying the photo of a child who died as a result of cyberbullying or harmful online content.
Markle and Harry attended a private memorial event as part of their campaign “No Child Should Die Because of Social Media.” Meghan wore a black cape coat with large gold buttons for the occasion, while Harry chose a blue shirt and black suit. The couple spoke with parents who lost their children to online harm and have since joined the parent network of their charity, The Archewell Foundation. Organizers also created a virtual version of the installation, providing information about each child, and some parents recorded personal voice messages to be heard.
The controversial heir to the British throne expressed that their own children, 5-year-old Archie and 3-year-old Lilibet, are still too young for social media. “We want to ensure that things change so children no longer die because of social media. The simplest advice is to keep children away from it. The sad reality is that children who don’t use social media are often bullied at school because they can’t participate in the same discussions as everyone else. But life without social media is better. I say this as a parent and as someone who’s spoken to many kids here today who have lost a sibling because of it,” Harry said.
The Duke of Sussex blamed the biggest tech companies for failing to protect their users. “Some of these stories are truly horrifying. You think you’ve heard the worst until nights like tonight, here in America, happen. Some of these stories are crime scenes, and these companies get away with it because they say, ‘We don’t need to disclose information.’ You tell parents, you tell mom and dad, they can’t know the details. This is a growing crisis. Clearly, what’s being done is not enough,” he expressed.
Harry, author of the memoir Spare, reminded everyone that the children featured in the exhibit were not ill, and their deaths were not inevitable; they fell victim to harmful online content that destroyed their fragile mental state.
Meghan also spoke emotionally about the project. “My husband and I have worked with many of these families over the past few years, and through our foundation’s ‘Parent Network’ program, we support them in their grief and share their call to action. No matter how divided the world is, we can all agree that we want to protect our children from harm. This is a universal truth,” she said.
The Duchess of Sussex urged everyone with social media accounts to be role models for children and youth, sharing kindness, empathy, and positivity. “Let’s tell our children they are beautiful and that this life is worth living. And let’s make sure no child is lost to social media. With your support, we can make a change,” Markle added.