The Duchess of Sussex opened up about the pressures of social media during a conversation with mental health advocates in New Zealand. During a visit to a beachside cafe in Wellington, Meghan talked to people supporting others in the area of mental health about the impact that unrealistic images on the likes of Instagram and Twitter can have on youth. “Young people find it so difficult,” she said during a conversation with staff and volunteers from Live For Tomorrow, an online youth initiative focused on reaching millennials with messages of hope and positive change. “You see photos on social media and you don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter. Your judgement of your sense of self worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes.” The Duke added: “Issues stemming from social media and gaming are a major problem for young people in the UK — and globally. "Fingers are often pointed at the parents but that’s not always fair as they too need to be educated about these things.” The Duchess of Sussex talks people from a number of mental health projects Credit: Ian Vogler Harry and Meghan — who are both strong advocates for mental health awareness — were at Wellington’s Maranui Cafe on Monday, October 29, to learn about initiatives and programmes supporting mental wellbeing in New Zealand, with a focus on youth. They arrived just after 10am and were escorted in by Lucia Kennedy, founder of Luminary Legacies, which honours people who have impacted positively on individuals, families and communities. “It smells so great in here,” Harry said after walking past the cafe’s colourful cake counter. Before sitting at their first table, the couple were offered drinks by the cafe’s co-owner Bronwyn Kelly, with the Duke asking for water, the Duchess having a “milk tea”. At the first table the couple met Jazz Thornton and Gen Mora from Voices of Hope. “We’ve both had battles with mental health of our own and so we wanted to create a platform where people can share stories of hope,” Thornton said of their website, which contains videos and personal blogs which promotes mental wellbeing, empowerment and recovery. Harry and Meghan heard the two women from Voices of Hope share how their 2017 viral video “Dear Suicidal Me” - which features young people who have overcome mental health problems reading their own suicide notes - saved the life of a 15-year-old young girl in Canada. “Her mother contacted us and said that her daughter was planning to take her life but then saw the video and went to speak to her instead,” explained Thornton. “It saved her life.” “It’s amazing what you have done,” Harry remarked. “I think anyone who has overcome mental health problems often go out of their own way to help others.” The Duke spoke about his own struggles with mental health during the conversations, admitting that it took him years to confront his own inner turmoil. “It took me about three or four years to start the journey and then after that you still have to find the right people to speak to,” he started. On the same table the couple also spoke with volunteers and staff from Lifeline Aotearoa, a 24-hour crisis service offering free community helplines and text message support to people of all ages in New Zealand. The organisation has been established for 53 years and has over 200 volunteers and 50 staff. “Kidsline buddy” volunteer Leroy, told the couple about how the service doesn’t just offer support but also gives callers tools to cope with mental health struggles in their daily lives. The Duchess of Sussex pours herself a tea Credit: Ian Vogler Harry was interested to learn that around 50% of the callers that phone in to the three helplines are men. “They’re able to call from a private number if they want and it’s a place they can open up and speak freely, without judgement,” said Lifeline’s Clinical Manager, Renee Matthews. “What’s great about this is that it’s done without judgement, it’s a safe place for people that just need to talk,” Meghan commented. Added Harry, “It’s a real topic that doesn’t just need to be openly discussed amongst the younger generation but also parents.” At the third table Harry and Meghan met 21-year-old Ezekiel Raui, founder of Te Kotahi (which means to stand as one), a peer-support programme run by young volunteers that focuses on creating a positive society and removing judgmental attitudes that come prior to crisis. The programme has already been rolled out in four New Zealand schools and will reach even more in the months ahead. Raui received a Queen’s Young Leader award in London earlier this year for his service, which he started in 2012 after a series of suicides, including that of a nine-year-old boy, rocked his Auckland high school and the Northland region of the country. “It’s about educating children at school from an early age so they don’t grow up feeling isolated or anxious about mental health problems or being judged... and hopefully they will pay that forward in the future,” said Raui. “It’s a programme built by young people and it’s great to see how far it has come. “Our goal is long term, to push for an intergenerational change that will create better methods of understanding and communication between young people and their peers, young and adult, and also help create a better representation of [young people] in society.” “I take my hat off to you,” Harry said. “Having a 10 or 20-year strategy is much better than three or four. You want to take it to the point where you’re out of a job, that the work you have done is so successful that the issue you have been tackling is no longer an issue.” “It’s important to focus on longterm planning and then creating that ripple effect,” added Meghan. At the age of 18 Ezekiel Raui took part in the first White House United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) conference and met President Obama. Harry was so impressed by the young man’s dedication to philanthropy that he asked for his name badge so he could get in touch again at a later date. “We need more people like you,” Harry said. The last initiative they spoke to was youth mental health project Live for Tomorrow, which is part of New Zealand youth organisation Zeal. Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex with Meghan Markle the Duchess of Sussex meet young people from a number of mental health projects operating in New Zealand, at the Maranui Cafe in Wellington Credit: Reuters Manager Andrew Sutherland told the couple how their project tells real-life stories from young people, both online and in school, through documentaries, music videos and other resources. “There’s a fear of embarrassment of having these problems in the first place,” Harry said, “The fact you’re going to schools and offering it online, which is where so many people spend most of their time, is really important.” After the group chats concluded, Harry and Meghan took photographs with each table and seemed motivated by their chats, both smiling and laughing. “This has been so inspiring,” said Meghan, who started a round of applause. “You’re all doing really excellent work.” The volunteers from Lifeline handed over gifts to the couple — two goody bags containing a baby onesies and t-shirts from their 72 Club campaign. “This is so sweet of you,” Meghan said after thanking the group. Maranui Cafe owners Kate Richardson and Bronwyn Kelly also handed gifts for the couple — t-shirts and a book about the history of the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club, which was founded in 1912, and trains Wellington lifeguards. “They were both so warm and friendly,” Richardson later remarked. “What they’re doing is so important.” After leaving the venue, Meghan had an aide return to the venue and request that the plates of small pastries that had been laid out on each table were shared with the children from Houghton Valley School they earlier met outside the venue. Sign up for Your Royal Appointment – for everything you need to know about the Royal Family, direct to your inbox each week.
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