The Duke of Sussex listens to young people talk about their mental health at the YMCA. Photo / Getty Images
Social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol, the Duke of Sussex has warned, as he condemns a lack of human connection that leads to bullying, damaged children, and parents feeling powerless to help.
The Duke, who yesterday launched a new Instagram account to broadcast news and photographs from the Sussexes to fans around the world, said he had deep concerns about the lack of restrictions online.
Saying young people are living through a "mind-altering time", he said their ability to make a positive difference through social media must be balanced by an awareness of the dangers.
During a visit to the YMCA in South Ealing for an event about mental health, the Duke expressed grave concerns about games creating addicted children wedded to their screens.
"Growing up in today's world, social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol," he said.
"Yet it's more dangerous because it's normalised and there are no restrictions to it. We are in a mind-altering time."
But, he added: "We are in an exciting time because everybody in this room has an opportunity to actually make a real difference so that young people coming through are less connected to their phones.
"They can be as connected as they want to be but they have to have human connection as well.
"Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go and the only place you might go is online and you will probably end up getting bullied."
The Duke's words came just one day after he and the Duchess of Sussex launched their own Instagram account, which reached one million followers in just five hours and 45 minutes and now has an audience of 2.7 million.
Discussing the problems facing young people and their mental health, he said: "In the interests of prevention there are things that are happening at the top that together all of us are slowly putting the pressure on.
"A game like Fortnite for instance may not be so good for children. Parents have got their hands up – they don't know what to do about it.
"It's like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken.
"That game shouldn't be allowed. Where is the benefit having that game your household? It's created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It's so irresponsible."
Proving his point, the Duke joined in physical activities with a group of four to six-year-old ballet dancers, showing off his own balancing skills for the class with not a screen in sight.
Watching children in pink tutus perform their routines, he was intrigued to learn about "the ballet challenge".
Teacher Jade Groves explained that it was when the children practiced their balance by standing on one leg with a plastic disc on their head.
"Do you guys want to show him?" she asked the children, as Prince Harry gamely joined in on one leg for a pose onlookers likened to the yoga move "tree pose".
"You wobbled," one child pointed out.
The Duke, who introduced himself to the children's parents, crouched down to chat to three-month-old daughter baby Naz, just a few weeks ahead of the birth of his first child.
Maria Ahmad, the baby girl's mother, said: "He was so excited and happy about the baby.
"He was asking about her sleeping. I think he's worried about that - if the baby sleeps at night time."
The Duke also spoke of the necessity of charities telling their success stories, giving others inspiration that their lives can improve.
"Most of the people I've met who've been through a really dark place, 99 per cent of them have come through it and found mechanisms to carry on with their normal life or have made serious adjustments in their life to be able to cope," he said.
"You, as charities, I don't believe necessarily put those people forward. Those are the icons, the people that young people need to see and hear their stories.
"There is too much negativity surrounding mental health. No wonder it's so hard for young people to actually talk about it."
Sophia Zahra, 21, from Swansea, one of the YMCA's Mental Health Champion, said they had discussed the #IAMWHOLE campaign to use social media in a positive way.
YMCA South Ealing, one of the largest in Europe, provides supported housing for 150 young people who are dealing with issues such as homelessness, mental illness, substance misuse or domestic violence.