May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and one of the core issues for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is mental health. So it’s nice that they’re being visible and actually putting in some public work on this issue. According to Archewell, Harry and Meghan recently visited a young group in Santa Barbara. They spent time talking to kids about mental health – it was a listening-and-learning visit. From Archewell:
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently visited with a local youth group, AHA! Santa Barbara, to learn firsthand about this generation’s experiences with social media and societal pressures, and how it affects their mental well-being. The couple engaged with these amazing youth in candid conversation, working to find solutions together.
During this hour-long session, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke with teens ages 14-18 about the opportunities social media can provide for connection and community, as well as the ways in which it also raises issues of insecurity, peer-pressure, and potential for self-harm, among other risks. These important perspectives and experiences help us understand how mental wellness intersects with the online world, and what it means to promote digital wellness in a digital age. The Archewell Foundation (AWF) has a history of engaging on these critical issues and working in partnership with youth groups, experts, and families, to develop programs that support and inspire change.
AWF holds a core belief that mental health is of the utmost importance, and underpins all of our work. We are regularly meeting with young people, parents, and professionals to understand the challenges they may be facing while working together to drive towards long-term solutions on- and offline.
AHA is an acronym which stands for Attitudes, Harmony and Achievement – you can see the site here. It looks well-organized and sort of like a mentorship program for mental health. The program encourages adults and educators to get involved too. I’m glad there is this kind of program for kids today – there wasn’t anything like this when I was growing up. Anyway, it’s cool that H&M did this and they did it quietly. They even gave us some new photos:
“Prince Harry & Meghan…recently visited with a local youth group, AHA! Santa Barbara, to learn firsthand about this generation’s experiences with social media & societal pressures, & how it affects their mental well-being.” #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
👉🏾https://t.co/LyxJCU9s8p pic.twitter.com/3fcjywPiav
— R.S. Locke / Royal Suitor (@royal_suitor) May 15, 2023
Photos courtesy of Matt Sayles for Archewell and social media.
Great cause. What did everyone learn?
I personally see more negatives to social media than positives. Far more. Perhaps because it remains unregulated and vitriol, bullying, ostracizing, and fake images abound, compounding mental health crises. So…what is the solution? ‘Cause it’s not going away.
I believe figuring out how to make social media a safe space for everyone is one of Archewell’s goals.
I still believe in the potential of social media, but I also put great effort in curating what I see in my feeds. And usually the algorithm reads what you like and presents you with more similar options. I’m able to do that on YouTube the most. But before I left Twitter, that didn’t work at all, and I was constantly getting pushed stuff I did not want to see. Same with Facebook. Even if I didn’t log into Facebook for a while, I was getting sent emails summarizing posts of “what I missed” and I didn’t want to see any of it. I closed my Facebook account too.
But I LOVE my YouTube feed. It’s exactly how I want it. Not that YouTube doesn’t allow horrible stuff on their channel and drag their feet to remove it, but it’s easier for me to cut that shit out.
Social media isn’t going anywhere, so I think it’s important to give teenagers the tools on how to handle and navigate it. Also, teach them critical thinking skills to recognize BS when they see it.
There’s a lot of negatives to social media (SM), but there are some positive as well. For instance it’s a haven for groups of chronically ill people with limited energy to take part in physical meetings. Self help groups in closed forums where people can speek freely, with others who understand exactely what they’re going through. They help others in the same situation, share info about new research etc. It’s also a way for elderly and chronically ill people to keep up with what’s going on with friends, family and local community.
For many, twitter is a form of alarm system about fires or natural disasters.
It’s a way for good people to reach out as well. BLM, Me-too etc wouldn’t have gotten so wide spread without SM. Sadly the unhinged loonys have gotten to much room to spread misinformation. I don’t know the solution, but it’s great that someone is bringing focus to it, and are working with both youths and professionals to find a solution.
Absolutely.
You all need to check out Spoutible.com. They require a cellphone number, so that you enter a code ONCE. Spoutible is Christopher Bouzy and is crowd sourced. Bot Sentinel is keep away the bots and disrupters. You only get one chance. So, if you’re racist, the community reports and they out. If you’re spewing disinformation or hate, same thing. If you harrass, think again. It’s a great place to hang out and engage in civil discourse. Yes, it still exists. I think you’ll change your mind about social media if you hang out there.
It’s been up and running for four months now, and they’ve been getting all of the bugs worked out. The phone app should be out soon, but people manage to use their phones (I think they were holding it horizontally at one time). It’s a pretty much Democratic environment.
Very nice visit on their part. I like how they highlight local SB organizations, it shows they’re involved in their new community.
Rachel Zane is back!!!! We missed her
Love Meghan’s outfit here. Simplicity is the true elegance and Meghan definitely does minimalism best
Love her bracelet game
I enjoyed having to look for both H&M in the photo. They weren’t front and centre but fit themselves in amongst the young people.
I am loving how the present the group at the forefront as well. H&M want AHA SB to be the focus, not them, as it should be.
I second @ Becks1 comment as well that H&M are investing into their community as well. It’s a powerful statement and tool.
They are such a wonderful and genuinely lovely couple who enjoy and love what they are doing too!! That’s what makes them powerful as their sincerity shines through and kids pick up of that too!!
❤️ how they focus on teens and SM bc that’s a real issue. I can’t imagine growing up with SM. I grew up with land lines and answering machines .
Yes. We didn’t even have answering machines, we saw that on movies from the US, LOL. We only had one tv channel (rural area) until I was around 15. I wouldn’t have run naked over a bridge as part of the out of high school celebration if I were young today,
I know people love to get nostalgic about the good old days of analog living, but I LOVE the internet. The internet cracked my world wide open and gave me a place to express myself creatively. To see and learn new things that I would have never been exposed to in my small little podunk town. It literally changed the trajectory of my life and I’m eternally grateful.
Yes, it’s a mess these days, but it’s also done a tremendous amount of good. We, as a society, need to tip the scales back to good.
@Snuffles, I love some parts of social media. Having terminal cancer it allows me to keep in contact with with people I served with and friends like the ones I have made on here
But there is also a terrible downside where trolling for fun seems to be it’s only focus some days. I have learned to block a lot and sometimes I have really engaged with people about harry and meghan and I’m glad to say that I have changed a few perspectives. But one of the biggest problems with SM is that they allow a lot of the media free reign and very rarely if ever, hold them accountable for the venom they print
@marypester
Big internet ((((((((HUGS)))))) from me.
@snuffles I wouldn’t go so far as saying I love the internet, but I hardly go a day without it. It’s opend up so much for so many, including me. As I comnented further up, it’s quite a few pluss sides to SM as well. I just know I’d be much more guarded if I were young today, because of phones with cameras and SM. I fully agree with you! The internet can provide the younger generation much more options, but it also comes with some dangers, and we need to work on this to find solutions. History will show H&M are on the good side.
For sure, we’re literally all connecting in the internet at this moment. It’s more just not being able to imagine what it would be like growing up with SM like Tik Tok, insta and FB. It’s just a whole other world and it takes a different way of protecting kids.
Yes, I love the internet like I love electricity or the telephone. It’s a delivery device. I’m naturally suspicious and not a joiner, so social media doesn’t interest me much, but I love information gathering and research. For that, the internet is paradise to me.
See now, I feel like I grew up at the perfect time (teenager of the 90s). I got to be the imperfect, occasionally asshole-teenager without social media and cell phone cameras, and by the time I got to college/law school the internet was fully operational and I got to take advantage of that at a relatively still-young age! Believe me, I’m thrilled there’s no electronic documentation of my youthful stupidity.
And the comments under that Hello mag IG post prove the point in spades. Universally negative, hateful and personal. Nothing good, or anything at all really, about AHA — just hate for the Sussexes. It’s heartbreaking that the worthy causes and charities that Harry and Meghan elevate and amplify get flooded with online hate.
To be fair, Kate & William get a load of bad comments and nit picking. I’m guilty of this and do it on here, a lot. Their blandness affects me so negatively and their attitude is so superior; I’ve never known a pair of celebrities get under my skin so much. It doesn’t help that my partner was sort of around them during their 20s/30s and finds it almost offensive that this plain Jane grifter has become a supposedly beautiful queen in waiting . This is the only site I visit because of its kindness towards Meghan, in particular, but I may swear off it for a while simply because of my Kate hate!
@sparrow when you’re ready, please spill stories about Kate. Please and thank you in advance. That would be fascinating to hear.
Archewell will provide a huge boost to this charity and the hate comments are bots. KP pays a lot of money to them to harass M&H.
I love Meghan’s outifit
How long do we think before Kate copies the outfit? I’m going to say about 3/4 months.
@layla, it won’t be the outfit until next month, but I’d say 48 hours MAX before wank and mank do something mental health wise
@Mary Pester you are already right about that. People has an article that Can’t visited with teens about mental health. Lots of listening and photos and wait for it no action.
What I like about the description of this event is that it wasn’t only about “listening and learning” – it was also about “working to find solutions together.”
A wonderful cause. Sad about the vile comments, which the goal is to have no organization want to work with the Sussexes. But people still work with them because they are not going to have knuckleheads tell them who to associated with.
These two are always doing the work. The listen and they put into action what they hear is needed. They don’t just go for a photo op they do the work. They understand what it takes and they just get it done.
They’re putting in the time and effort. That’s all they ever wanted to do and I’m happy that they get to do that now.
She looks radiant, open, vibrant… she’s a vibe.
Side comment: they look exceptionally good! Meghan is always look good, so I got used to it, but Harry…Harry is glowing! Such infectious smile! The smile of the man who is content with his life.
I love that they continue to show up and do the work and I feel like when they do discussions like this the kids actually learn something.
Good grief the comments on that post. Everyone thinks they’re so funny talking about “the worldwide privacy tour.” Same stupid joke on every post and not only is it played out, but it’s not even true. They wanted basic human privacy- not to have their stuff hacked, not to have to work with the royal rota, and to be a part of a family that wouldn’t start rumors about them to hide their own misdeeds. They wanted to continue to work. Service is universal. Ugh.
Also, where is everyone that was flipping out about Meghan’s new look, bc here’s she’s got some fine lines and looks like her normal self. And I do think she gets a little Botox and filler, but people really couldn’t tell it was some kind of filter or lens setting?
What a sharp contrast.
Humble and down-to-earth Harry and Meghan in deep discussions with youth on mental health issues.
Whilst Kate and William preen in their self promotion video in their glamorous and luxurious Kensington Palace and wearing heavy royal medieval robes
The gorgeous, glowing goodness of King Harry and Queen Meghan. Rich, successful, happy, unbothered, at ease, helpful. Love!
Sounds like a good cause and a great and educational day for all involved.
I hope they continue to keep their heads held high and focus on important stuff like this.
Whew! The contrast between the faces of these young people meeting M&H and the young people who met with Kate!
Like I said, teenagers can spot inauthenticity in adults — or authenticity, as is the case with M&H — a mile away.
No gurning? No engagement ring and wiglet dominating the frame? So much they could learn from the lean, mean queen of keen.