Prince Harry Says Social Media Is 'More Dangerous' Than Drugs And Alcohol

The Duke of Sussex made his opinions known during an engagement in London.
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Prince Harry had harsh words of warning for fans of social media and video games during a royal engagement on Wednesday.

“Social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol, yet it’s more dangerous because it’s normalized and there are no restrictions to it,” he said during a roundtable discussion on children’s mental health at a YMCA in London’s South Ealing neighborhood, according to The Independent.

The Duke of Sussex then said that video games, like the popular game “Fortnite,” should come with major restrictions.

Prince Harry at a youth mental health discussion on April 3 at a YMCA in London, where he declared that “social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol.”
Prince Harry at a youth mental health discussion on April 3 at a YMCA in London, where he declared that “social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol.”
WPA Pool via Getty Images

“Where is the benefit in having that game in your household?” he added. “It’s created to addict — an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.”

The timing of his comments was a bit ironic, as the household of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex debuted an Instagram account this week, SussexRoyal, devoted to Harry and Meghan.

The Guinness Book of World Records declared that the new account was the fastest to reach 1 million followers, shattering a record set by Korean pop sensation Kang Daniel.

SussexRoyal hit 1 million followers in just under six hours. it had 3.5 million followers as of Thursday afternoon London time.

The royal family issued guidelines in March for people interacting with its social media accounts, after a torrent of racial abuse was directed at Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

A statement put out by the family, Clarence House and Kensington Palace said that in extreme cases of abuse, users will be reported to the police.

“The aim of our social media channels is to create an environment where our community can engage safely in debate and is free to make comments, questions and suggestions,” the guidelines stated. “We ask that anyone engaging with our social media channels shows courtesy, kindness and respect for all other members of our social media communities.”

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