Meghan Markle Reveals the Real Reason She Won't Ever Return to Social Media

Meghan Markle spoke out about why social media "concerns" her, and how Archie's birth has affected her and Prince Harry's view of the world.

By Cydney Contreras Oct 13, 2020 11:40 PMTags

Meghan Markle has the self-control most people wish they had.

Since marrying Prince Harry, the former actress has had a team managing her social media presence. Whether it's posting an adorable snap with their son, Archie Harrison, over the holidays or sharing a statement on their role as royals, that aspect of her life has always been curated by social media experts working for the couple.

And now that she's no longer an acting member of the royal family, it was assumed the Duchess would return to social media in one form or another. But in a new virtual interview for Fortune's Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit, the star shared that she made a "personal choice" to continue to delegate that responsibility to others.

Speaking from her and Harry's home in Santa Barbara, she explained, "For my own self-preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time... I have a lot of concerns for people that have become obsessed with it."

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Meghan Markle's Best Looks

More than that, the mother of one said she's concerned about the implications for society at large. "It is so much a part of our daily culture for so many people that it's an addiction like many others," Meghan continued. "There is something algorithmically that is creating this obsession, and I think it's very unhealthy for a lot of people."

She added that content creators and everyday people should be "conscious of what you're doing and understand that it is not limited to that one moment." She went on to explain that she believes engaging with these platforms will have a "lasting impact" on people.  

This worry for social media users appears to stem from becoming a mother, which she said made her "more concerned for the world" her son will inherit. Meghan explained that she often asks herself, "How can I make this world better for Archie?"

However, Meghan said she also tries not to rock the boat when speaking publicly about divisive subjects. "At the same time, I am cautious of putting my family at risk by certain things," she said. "I try to be very clear in what I say and not get controversial and instead talk about things that seem very straight forward, like exercising your right to vote."

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She continued, "I think that's as simple as it comes and as necessary as it comes and to that point as a parent, I can enjoy all the fun and silliness and games with my son, but I wouldn't be able to feel proud of myself as a mom if I didn't know that I wasn't doing my part to make it a better place for him."

Part of those efforts to improve society includes her and Harry's recent deal with Netflix. According to People, the 39-year-old said she looks forward to "creating programming and content that is conscious and inspiring and has a call to action and is uplifting."