Meghan Markle delivered a powerful speech on the dangers of online bullying at the unveiling of the Lost Screen Memorial art installation Sunday.
The installation, hosted by the World Health Organization and Archewell Philanthropies, features 50 illuminated lightboxes, each displaying the image of a child who died as a result of cyberbullying and other digital harms.
“Behind me stands The Lost Screen Memorial,” the Duchess of Sussex stated at the art installation in Geneva, Switzerland, per Hello!. “Not statistics. Not avatars. Not data points. Children.”
“Each name belonged to a child who was loved beyond measure. A child whose laughter once filled a kitchen. Whose shoes once waited by a front door. Whose future once felt limitless,” she added.
Markle, who rocked an all-black pantsuit, called out how addictive and damaging social media can be to children.
“Children today are being shaped by systems designed to capture attention at any cost: relentless algorithms, exploitative engagement and endless exposure to harmful content that they are not seeking out,” she said.
The mom of two urged parents to set an example for their kids by limiting their own social media usage and writing their elected officials to demand that laws be put in place to protect the youth.
“Let our children look back at this moment, and let them feel proud of us – that we chose something better – for them, and for us all,” she shared.
At the memorial, Markle chatted with a young child and hugged attendees who were visibly emotional by the art installation, which honored the lives of children lost to online harm.
