The Parents’ Network from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable Archewell Foundation is teaming up with ParentsTogether, a national nonprofit focused on advocating for families and online safety, PEOPLE exclusively reveals.
The groups are joining forces as new research shows the urgent need for enhanced parental support and greater legislation to protect children generation from AI-related harms in a rapidly changing landscape as chatbots become increasingly popular. According to recent research from ParentsTogether, investigators posing as children on AI chatbot platforms experienced harmful interactions every five minutes.
The Parents’ Network began in 2022 as a community of families in the U.S. who lost a child to social media-driven suicide or whose children have struggled because of online platforms, and the new partnership with ParentsTogether will expand the efforts of the network to impact and help more families.
The news comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are being honored with the Humanitarians of the Year Award at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala on Oct. 9.
As a couple, this work is personal for Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are parents to son Prince Archie, 6, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 4, and have cited their children as an inspiration for making the online world a safer place.
In a statement about the announcement, the Archewell Foundation’s co-executive directors James Holt and Shauna Nep said, “When we launched The Parents’ Network, we were among the few voices calling attention to the devastating impact of social media and emerging technologies on young people. Today, the landscape has transformed dramatically.”
“Legislation is emerging across the country, more families are coming forward with their stories, and the urgency of this moment is undeniable,” they continued. “This connection with ParentsTogether ensures our community has the infrastructure, advocacy power, and resources needed to meet this critical moment in protecting our children.”
Under the structure of ParentsTogether, members of The Parents’ Network will now gain expanded advocacy capabilities, deeper legislative expertise in all 50 states and access to framework for mobilizing change at the state and federal level.
Ailen Arreaza, executive director of ParentsTogether said in a statement, “The Parents’ Network families have courageously shared their stories to prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies. By joining forces, we’re combining their powerful, growing network with our legislative expertise, national organizing reach, and our impact media platforms to drive public awareness and the comprehensive reforms this moment demands.“
In April, Meghan and Harry unveiled The Lost Screen Memorial — an installation in N.Y.C. comprised of 50 smartphones, each displaying the lock screen photo of a child whose life was cut short, stemming from the harmful effects of social media. The personal images were shared by parents, who are members of the Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network, to call attention to the need for safer online spaces.
“When we lost Anna, there was no light in the darkness. When TPN came along, it gave me a community to share all those thoughts and feelings, and to realize I wasn’t alone,” said Lori Schott, a member of The Parents’ Network. “Even five years later, I still lean on members of the network on angelversaries, on birthdays. It’s a back-and-forth conversation that I don’t think will ever go away.”
“For my husband, until we went to the launch of the Lost Screen Memorial in NYC, he kept everything inside. When we saw the other families, and he sat down in those conversations, something opened up for him, and he found his voice as an advocate, just as I have. I couldn’t do any advocacy work until The Parents’ Network came along,” Schott said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex opened up about The Parents Network with CBS Sunday Morning in August 2024, where they shared more about their concern for online safety from their perspective as parents. Following a successful two-year pilot program, the initiative became available for parents in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
“Our kids are young — they’re 3 and 5. They’re amazing. But all you want to do as parents is protect them. So as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there, and we’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good,” Meghan said then.
Added Prince Harry, “At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide. That is the terrifying piece of this.”
Meghan encouraged others “look at it through the lens of ‘What if it was my daughter? What if it was my son?’ ”
“If you look at it through the lens as a parent, there’s no way to see that any other way than to try to find a solution,” she said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
Source: https://people.com
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Suits (2011 – 2018) 
