Meghan Markle has said she is “one of the most abused people in the world,” according to the founder of a youth advocacy group. However, sources who spoke to The Post deny that.
Markle, 43, recently visited Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara to participate in a newly launched digital health program called Social Media U. The program will be broadcast nationally with the support of #HalfTheStory, a youth advocacy group focused on “social media digital beauty for the next generation. “
The Social Media U expansion will be funded by Meghan and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation, along with the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation and Melissa French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures.
In the event of Oct. 2 Santa Barbara, described as “an afternoon without sports screens, friendship bracelets and colors,” Meghan joined Girls Inc. CEO Stephanie J. Hull and #HalfTheStory founder Larissa May to talk about their. experiences and social media.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in a story published on Friday, May said during the event, “Meghan talked about being one of the most abused people in the world” while they were doing “the act we talked about it in many ways.”
“We had girls waving these emoji symbols and talking about how each of these situations would have affected them emotionally.”
May continued, “Me and Stephanie and Meghan, we talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age.”
However, sources confirmed to The Post that the Duchess of Sussex “has spoken about her experience of online bullying, but she never said she was the most bullied person in the world.”
The post reached the Duchess’s representative.
Meghan and May met in 2023 when #HalfTheStory was selected as one of the first organizations included in the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund, a group supported by Archewell.
“We really wanted to make sure the young people at #HalfTheStory were able to have a say in what kind of experience we were going to create. Ultimately, we thought the best way to do that was creating a vulnerable environment,” said May.
A youth advocacy leader has praised Meghan and Harry’s work to help young people shape their futures in a digital world. “I know a lot of young women who are active on their social media because it brings them joy and inspiration,” May continued.
“Tech is not going anywhere. It’s more like a food than a drug, because it’s a community choice for public health, economic empowerment and educational empowerment.”
#HalfTheStory partner, Girls Inc., reaches approximately 114,000 girls annually, providing programming and leadership training through a network of 75 organizations across the US and Canada. “Girls, Inc is in its 160th year and has been evolving to meet girls where they are,” Hull told VF. “So today we’re talking about the digital world as a place where we need to address the safety and well-being of girls.”
Markle and Prince Harry, 40, have been active recently in their philanthropic activities.
Harry attended the WellChild UK Awards and traveled to Lesotho to support his charity, Sentebale, which helps children and young people struggling to accept their HIV and AIDS diagnosis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also visited Colombia in August for a conference on building a better digital future.
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