Why Meghan Markle says she's ‘frightened' for her kids' future

Originally appeared on E! Online

Meghan Markle isn't ready to subscribe to the idea of her kids using social media.

The Duchess of Sussex—who shares son Archie Harrison, 4, and daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana, 2, with husband Prince Harry—got candid about her concerns for the next generation growing up in the digital age during a panel at Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Festival in New York City on Oct. 10. Though her children are still too young to be going online, Markle noted that "social media isn't going away" and what was built to create community "has devolved" into a platform that can take a serious toll on mental health.

"Being a mom is the most important thing in my entire life—outside, of course, being a wife to this one," the 42-year-old shared as she gestured to Harry, 39, according to People. "But I will say I feel fortunate that our children are at an age, again quite young, so this isn't in our immediate future, but I also feel frightened at how it's continuing to change and this will be in front of us."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Kids Appear in Harry & Meghan

"They say being a parent, the days are long but the years are short, so it worries me," continued Markle, whose "Archewell Foundation" has been working with parents who lost children due to mental health challenges connected to social media use, "but I'm also given a lot of hope and energy by the progress we've made in the past year."

She added, "Everyone is affected by the online world and social media. We all just want to feel safe. I'm confident that with more ears and awareness and visibility of what is really happening, we can make some significant change together."

It was a sentiment shared by Harry, who co-founded the "Archewell Foundation" with Markle in 2020. "I think for us, for myself and my wife with kids growing up in a digital age, the priority here is to again turn pain into purpose," he told the audience at the mental health summit, "and provide as much support as well as a spotlight and a platform for these parents to come together, to heal, to grieve and to also collectively focus on solutions so that no other family anywhere has to go through what they've been through."

The panel was just one of the events Markle and Harry participated in to mark World Mental Health Day. Before taking the stage, the couple also visited The Marcy Lab School in Brooklyn to meet with teens who are preparing for careers in tech.

"My husband was asking about online spaces because it's a place where so much community can be built, but there's also so much vulnerability," Markle said during a conversation with students, per a press pool report. "There's a lot of saturation and, as parents, we can be hopeful knowing that your bright minds...will be seen, valued and growing in the right direction."

For more quotes about parenthood from Markle and Harry, keep reading.

"I don't think you can force these things. It will happen when it's gonna happen," he told Sky News back in 2015 when asked if the birth of his niece Princess Charlotte made him think about settling down. "Of course, I would love to have kids right now, but there's a process that one has to go through."

Years ago, Markle even made a purchase with her future daughter in mind. "I've always coveted the Cartier French Tank watch. When I found out Suits had been picked up for our third season—which, at the time, felt like such a milestone—I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version," she recalled to Hello! in 2015. "I had it engraved on the back, 'To M.M. From M.M.' and I plan to give it to my daughter one day."

Fatherhood is a subject that—along with marriage—has long trailed Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana's younger son. "There have been moments through life, especially when we do a tour abroad, when I think, 'I'd love to have kids now'... And then there are other times when I bury my head in the sand going, 'All right, don't need kids!' There's no rush. I tell you what: There's been times I've been put off having children," he admitted to People back in May 2016, shortly before meeting his future wife. 

In 2017, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their engagement and sat for their first joint interview. Naturally, the topic of future kids came up. "Of course. You know, I think you know one step at a time, and hopefully, we'll start a family in the near future," Prince Harry said at the time with Markle smiling beside him.

"It's magic," Markle said about becoming a mum following Archie's birth. "It's pretty amazing and, I mean, I have the two best guys in the world, so I'm really happy."

Following Archie's birth in May 2019, Harry gushed, "It's been the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension but we're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing so we just wanted to share this with everybody."

Harry reflected on the lessons he's learned since becoming a parent during a speech at the National Youth Mentoring Summit in 2019. He shared, "I'm struck by a few things today, most of which is the power of the invisible role model. The person who may be sitting here today that doesn't realize that someone looks up to them that—for that person—you inspire them to be kinder, better, greater, more successful, more impactful. Perhaps it's the newfound clarity I have as a father knowing that my son will always be watching what I do, mimicking my behavior, one day maybe even following in my footsteps."

"Our little man is our No. 1 priority but then our work after that is the second priority," Prince Harry shared during a speaking engagement in 2020, "and we're just doing everything we can to try and play our part in trying to make the world a better place."

Harry and Markle found a silver lining amid the coronavirus pandemic through baby Archie. "In so many ways we are fortunate to be able to have this time to watch him grow, and in the absence of COVID, we would be traveling and working more externally," Markle shared in October 2020. "We'd miss a lot of those moments. So I think it's been a lot of really good family time."

Harry added, "We were both there for Archie's first steps, his first run, his first fall, everything."

In May 2021, Markle made a rare TV appearance during Global Citizen's VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World special. The former actress opened up about her pregnancy and shared her excitement about raising a daughter. "My husband and I are thrilled to soon be welcoming a daughter. It's a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world," she said at the time. "When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward."

She added, "Their future leadership depends on the decisions we make and the actions we take now to set them up, and set all of us up, for a successful, equitable and compassionate tomorrow."

Markle makes a brief cameo in her husband's Apple TV+ series with Oprah, "The Me You Can't See." During her appearance, the California native seemingly pays tribute to her growing family with a shirt that reads, "Raising the Future."

The couple welcomed their baby girl. In a statement shared on their "Archewell Foundation" page, they gushed, "On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

On June 8, 2021, Markle will release her first children's book, The Bench, which is a celebration of fatherhood from a mother's perspective. Of her new project, she said in a press release in May, "The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father's Day, the month after Archie was born. That poem became this story."