As she joined a Santa Barbara program to empower females in their connection with technology, the Duchess of Sussex described herself as "one of the most bullied people in the world." Her honest statements about bullying reflect her situation and are consistent with the increasing scrutiny of social media.
Although Meghan's words may not surprise many people given her platform, a royal expert was quick to point out that her experience is not unique, since previous royal women have had similar situations.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond spoke with OK! Magazine about her support for Meghan and Prince Harry's attempts to build a safer internet environment. She laments Meghan's abuse, but points out that other royals have experienced similar challenges.
"I applaud the efforts that Meghan and Harry are making to help make the digital world a safer place especially for young people. And I am truly sorry that Meghan was subjected to abuse and bullying during her pregnancies and beyond," Jennie stated.
"No-one should have to read disgusting abuse like that at any point in their lives. Sadly, though, Meghan is not alone in being bullied. Remember the press abuse of Fergie as the Duchess of Pork? Remember the insults thrown at Catherine... 'Waity Katie'?" she furthered.
"And what about the recent and current abuse of the Princess of Wales, forcing her to reveal she was undergoing cancer treatment. Even then her video didn't stop the revolting conspiracy theories on social media. Meghan is far from alone in being a victim of abuse. But good on her for trying to do something about it," Jennie went on.
According to a leader in the charitable sector, Jennie's comments came to light after Meghan made a profound admission that she is "one of the most bullied people in the world" during a talk with a group of young people.
Participating in arts and crafts activities and promoting Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara's new digital-wellness project called Social Media U, the Duchess of Sussex, who is 43 years old, devoted her afternoon on October 2 to providing assistance to the organization, PEOPLE Magazine reported.
In order to accomplish this endeavor, they collaborated with Girls Inc., an organization that is dedicated to the empowerment of girls, and joined forces with the advocacy movement #HalfTheStory, which aims to improve the balancing act between technology and life for young people.
The specifics of Meghan's candid chat about the bullying she faced were revealed to Vanity Fair by Larissa May, the founder of the hashtag #HalfTheStory initiative.
In the course of an activity in which we discussed a variety of various circumstances, Meghan shared her experience of being one of the most bullied individuals in the entire globe, as Larissa recounted. During their conversation, they went over a dozen different outcomes.The ladies were instructed to wave these miniature emoji signs in order to stimulate a conversation on the emotional impact that each of these scenarios might have had on them.
Larissa continued, "We talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age," while highlighting the fact that the curriculum of Social Media U is curated not only to encourage teenagers to engage in face-to-face socialization but also to educate them on how to harness technology for the purpose of creativity and benevolence.
With the assistance of a number of influential financial backers, such as the Archewell Foundation, which is owned by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Charitable Foundation of Oprah Winfrey, and Pivotal Ventures, which is owned by Melinda French Gates, the Duchess of Sussex has been providing support for a curriculum. During the course of her visit, she did not avoid talking about the more negative aspects of her current public life.
The "hateful" online messages that Meghan got while she was pregnant Archie and Lilibet were brought to light by Meghan during the SXSW festival in Texas earlier in the month of March. When she was asked to speak about "breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes," she did not hold back when it came to explaining her experience with the toxic nature of social media. She revealed that the most of the abuse she experienced occurred during her pregnancies and when she was a new mother.
Business Times has reached out to Meghan Markle for comments.
