How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Turned Their Pain Into Purpose: We’re ‘Part of Change’

On a bright summer day, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with CBS News Sunday Morning’s Jane Pauley to launch their latest project, the Parents’ Network. The organization aims to provide resources to parents whose children are impacted by online bullying, abuse and social media obsession. “We’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder,” warns Harry. Meghan compares the depression and suicidal thoughts some young people feel due to social media pressures to her own experience. During her pregnancy with Archie, Meghan sunk into despair caused by “bullying and abuse that I was experiencing on social media online,” she said. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

She hopes that by sharing her story, she will help others. “If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good so everything’s OK, then that’s worth it,” Meghan said.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Happy to Help

Children today are facing stressors and dangers that didn’t exist for previous pre internet generations. “We always talk about in the olden days, if your kids were under your roof, you knew what they were up to,” says Harry. “Now they could be in the next-door room on a tablet or on a phone and could be going down these rabbit holes. And before you know it, within 24 hours, they could be taking their life.”

Parents’ Network, which is part of the couple’s Archewell charitable organization, aims to give parents education and resources to recognize signs of danger in their children. “We can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there,” says Meghan. “We’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good.”