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Prince Williamis calling for protection for young people online following the news that social media contributed “more than minimally” to the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell in 2017.
William tweetedfrom the Prince and Princess of Wales' official account, signing with his first initial to indicate the personal nature of the tweet.
“No parent should ever have to endure what Ian Russell and his family have been through,” he said. “They have been so incredibly brave. Online safety for our children and young people needs to be a prerequisite, not an afterthought. W”
Ian Russell, the father of Molly, has called for changes at the highest level, askingsocial media sites to prioritize safety for children, the BBC reported.
Prince William, 40, has been following the story,reaching out to the family in 2019after the initial inquest into Molly’s death. The Prince of Wales planned at the time to “get in touch and offer sympathy and show support” to the family, a royal source told PEOPLE.
“This is something he feels passionate about and he wanted to show his support,” the royal source said.
“I think it is worth reminding everyone [that] the human tragedy of what we are talking about here isn’t just about companies and about online stuff — it’s actually real lives that get affected,” William said after listening to their stories. “And the consequences, that is the big thing, the consequences of what happens if things are not kept in check in terms of what we say and what we do. We are still responsible for our own actions online — this anonymity, as you were saying, is really, really dangerous.”
In February 2018,Prince Williamsurprised students at a London school to discuss cyberbullying.
“I worry for you girls,” he told students at Burlington Danes Academy during the assembly.
Speaking with teens Samara Hackett-Valton and Sophie Crowder, William shared his concerns over body image and how women are portrayed online.
“The touched-up pictures are not real,” he said. “Don’t try to recreate them or think that’s what you’ve got to aim for. There’s a lot of fakeness online, so don’t worry about that.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
