Prince Harry says smartphone is ‘stealing young people’s childhood’

Prince Harry, an advocate of mental health awareness, said in an interview, "In many cases, the smartphone...is stealing young people’s childhood." He reportedly said, "This is one of the problems that I have...these apps have been specifically designed to hook and keep children online for as long as possible, mindless scrolling.”

To mark World Mental Health Day, Prince Harry interviewed social psychologist Jonathan Haidt about his recent bestseller, 'The Anxious Generation'.

Harry said that through his insight sessions, he spoke with parents who say they give their kids phones at a younger age to keep them safe. "It’s a double-edged sword," he said while discussing the potential safety benefits of mobile phones.

"They [Parents] want them to have their phone at school in case of emergency, but once, like any kid, you have your phone, even if you’re told you’re not allowed to download that app, kids have a way of working around it," Prince Harry was quoted by Fortune as saying.

Harry also said, "It’s very easy for social media companies to point the finger at parents and say, 'Well, you know, this is down to you. This is down to your parenting.'"

Prince Harry then raised the idea of social media having a positive — and even lifesaving — side. “Social media, we know, to a large extent, is giving an outlet, an added resource, to kids that perhaps don’t feel comfortable coming to us to talk about their issues and their troubles and their worries,” he said.

“Kids online will be feeling more connected with complete strangers on social media. So how do you, if you’re a parent, know that your kid is getting good out of social media?,” he added.

Harry's comments came as Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William on Thursday made their first joint public engagement since she ended a course of chemotherapy for cancer, Kensington Palace announced.

The Princess of Wales ramped up her return to duty by making a surprise joint appearance with Prince William to meet the bereaved families of the Southport attacks. The princess, better known as Kate, and William met members of the emergency services who attended after the stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, which also left eight children and two adults wounded.

Footage of Thursday's engagement showed Kate, wearing a long brown coat, arriving at a Southport community centre after meeting privately with the families of the attack victims and a dance teacher who was injured on July 29.