The South by Southwest conference returns to Austin, Texas on International Women’s Day with a strong opening day. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, joined actor Brooke Shields, journalist Katie Couric and author Nancy Wang Yuan in the day's keynote panel discussion. During their conversation — “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead on and Off Screen” — Meghan spoke about her experiences facing toxicity on social media and called out what she saw from her husband in the digital space Prince lacks 'humanity' Harry was in the audience to support her.
evoke toxicity
Host Erin Haynes asked Meghan how she deals with the vitriol she faces, and Meghan spoke candidly about the need to distance herself from social media. "I'm keeping my distance from it now just for my own well-being," she said. However, she recalled that it hit her hard when she was pregnant with her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
"When we look at what's happening on social media, we see there's still a lot of work to be done in keeping people safe," Meghan said. "That starts with us understanding what's happening to children and what they're exposed to. But also Just getting into these habits - what I find most disturbing, frankly, especially as a supporter of women, is the sheer outpouring of this hatred by women on other women. I can't understand that."
make it meaningful
Megan identified two major areas where she believes change needs to occur: addressing the toxicity of social media at a systemic level within the boardroom, and creating a cultural shift among all of us. For the average social media user, she had multiple tough questions: "If you're reading something horrible about women, why are you sharing it with your friends? Why are you choosing to make it public? If so What about your friends, your mom, or your daughter?"
She went on to say that "we are lost in what is happening in the digital space and in certain sectors of media right now": "We have lost sight of our humanity and that has to change," she said. "Because I know there's a bottom line, and I know there's a lot of money to be made there. But even if it makes money, it doesn't make sense."
Continuous action
Meghan and Harry's non-profit organization, the Archewell Foundation, co-hosted the panel as part of their ongoing efforts to uplift and unite communities. The Sussexes have been calling for changes in the social media space for years to tackle harassment, misinformation and division. Harry explained why in a letter published by FastCompany in January 2021, expressing his concerns about a "crisis of hate, a crisis of health and a crisis of truth."
The couple have stayed away from social media since stepping down as senior royals in March 2020, and it looks like they haven't seen enough change to want to rejoin.
