Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, joined a group of local teen girls where she spoke about digital safety and cyberbullying as part of a new wellness program that aims to improve young people's relationship with technology.
The Duchess, 43, visited the nonprofit #HalfTheStory earlier this month for their Social Media U initiative. The program aims to help young girls how to thrive in the digital age while also fostering "healthier, more balanced relationships with technology." It will also focus on addressing key issues common in the digital age, including body image, friendships, and safety from sexual predators.
In one of the program's activities, the attendees talked through different scenarios of cyberbullying. Markle joined the discussion and shared her own experience of cyberbullying.
"We did an activity where we talked through a bunch of scenarios, and Meghan talked about being one of the most bullied people in the world," nonprofit founder Larissa May told Vanity Fair.
"We had girls wave these little emoji signs and talk about how each one of these scenarios would have impacted them emotionally," she added.
Read more: Meghan Markle Reminisce Hardships in High School: "I Never Had Anyone To Sit With at Lunch"
Markle's Partnership With the Nonprofit
#HalfTheStory joined forces with another nonprofit called Girls Inc. for a partnership funded by Markle's Archewell Foundation, Melinda French Gates' Pivotal Ventures, and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, according to a press release.
The partnership's Social Media U initiative will be scaled to impact schools and students in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
At launch, the program will focus on giving pre-teens online safety education, responsible social media engagement, and mental health support. The coverage will later be expanded to also include young girls from elementary through high school.
The nonprofit was first chosen as one of the initial members of the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund, which is run by the Archewell Foundation.
Other Advocacies
Apart from Social Media U, Markle and her husband Prince Harry launched The Parents' Network through the Archewell Foundation. That program aimed to provide support to parents with children who have been negatively affected by social media.
The couple decided to get involved with activism around the harms of social media after she spoke about her suicidal ideation in a 2021 interview with Oprah.
