In a powerful and timely keynote panel at SXSW, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, spoke out against the negative impact of social media on women. The panel, titled “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen,” was added last minute to coincide with International Women’s Day.
During the discussion, Markle, a former star of the hit TV show Suits, expressed her concerns about the detrimental effects of social media on women. She stated, “Even if it’s making dollars, it doesn’t make sense.” Markle highlighted the alarming statistics shared by fellow panelist Katie Couric, who compared the impact of social media on young women to binge drinking in terms of its correlation with spikes in suicide rates. “We have a real crisis on our hands here,” Couric emphasized.
Markle acknowledged the toxic environment that social media can create, stating, “The toxicity that comes at you, yes, social media is an environment that has a lot of that.” However, she revealed her personal strategy for dealing with the negativity by keeping her distance from it. Markle shared that she faced the most intense backlash during her pregnancies with children Archie and Lily. She expressed her bewilderment at the “catty and cruel” behavior exhibited by people online.
What troubled Markle even more was the fact that much of this hate was being perpetuated by women against other women. She questioned why women would share terrible things about their fellow women with their friends. “That’s the piece that’s so lost right now. We’ve forgotten about our humanity,” she lamented.
Markle also drew attention to the role of social media platforms in perpetuating this negativity. She noted that the SXSW panel was being streamed on YouTube without explicitly mentioning the platform. Markle criticized how these platforms incentivize people to create pages and spread hate, conspiracy theories, and harmful comments, which ultimately have a detrimental effect on mental health and safety.
The Duchess emphasized the need for both systematic and cultural change. While acknowledging the presence of female executives in positions of power, Markle argued that they must take action to curb this behavior. She called on them to put their words into action and make a difference. Markle did, however, commend Netflix Chief of Content Bela Bajaria for making changes in content that promote improved representation for women and diversity.
The panel was presented by Markle’s The Archewell Foundation and The 19th, a national nonprofit newsroom focused on gender, politics, and policy. Other notable participants in the panel included actress Brooke Shields and sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen.
Markle’s passionate and thought-provoking remarks shed light on the urgent need to address the negative impact of social media on women. Her call for change resonated with the audience at SXSW and serves as a reminder that we must prioritize our humanity and work towards creating a safer and more inclusive online environment for all.
