King Charles has expressed his concerns about the impact that social media is having on young people, closely echoing worries voiced by his son Prince Harry and daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle.

The 76-year-old monarch reportedly discussed the topic with Reverend Tommy MacNeil, who runs Shed Project mental health charity, over the weekend.

The reverend led the morning church service attended by the king and Queen Camilla. He reportedly met privately with the king at Balmoral afterwards.
King Charles has discussed the dangers of social media for young people (Credit: Cover Images)

King Charles ‘very concerned’ over social media influence

According to The Telegraph, Mr MacNeil said: “King Charles was clearly very concerned about the whole issue and negative influences on young people from social media. It is almost impossible to police social media, so we need to find ways to combat that.”

King Charles was clearly very concerned about the negative influences on young people from social media.

“He was very engaged and 100 per cent appreciative of the work we are doing,” he continued, adding that the king “really understood the problems and the difficulties involved in combating them”.
Harry and Meghan have also spoken out about the dangers of social media (Credit: Cover Images)

Harry and Meghan push for social media change

The king’s views seem closely aligned with those of Harry and Meghan.

Earlier this year, the couple unveiled a memorial in New York City, dedicated to children whose families believe harmful online material contributed to their deaths.

The memorial, open for 24 hours, was made up of large scale lightboxes that resembled smartphone screens. Each displayed a photograph of a child whose life was lost.

Together, they called for stronger protections. They said that “enough is not being done” to shield young people from the dangers of social media.

They backed calls for technology firms to allow parents to gain access to data on the phones of children who have died.

“We want to make sure that things are changed so that… no more kids are lost to social media,” the Duke of Sussex reportedly told the BBC.

The couple also set up the Parents’ Network as part of their Archewell foundation. It is a support network for parents whose children have experienced harm from social media.
Prince William has also campaigned about social media (Credit: Cover Images)

Prince William social media campaign

Harry’s older brother William, Prince of Wales, has also used his platform to speak out on the topic.

Back in 2017, his charity, the Royal Foundation, launched the Stop, Speak, Support campaign.

He helped create a youth-led code of conduct as well as a set of resources for young people dealing with cyberbullying.

Like his brother, he also pressed for tighter protections, working on pilot schemes with platforms such as Snapchat and Facebook.