The Real Reason Kate Middleton and Prince William Likely Won't Give Their Kids Screen Time

Kate and Prince William with their child.

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Fairygodboss
April 25, 2024 at 12:15PM UTC
We've been hearing about the dark side of giving kids screen time a lot lately. From parents in Silicon Valley who don't give their kids the technology they develop to fear-inducing studies about the psychological effects of even the most seemingly innocent tablet games , we've been hearing  that the same devices that gave us 'baby shark' are actually bad for little ones. 
It makes sense that Kate Middleton and Prince William — who have 3 young children of their own — would be hesitant to give their kids an abundance of screen time. 

However, Prince William and Kate are less worried about the technology, and more worried about how we're all using it. 

After the birth of his first son, Prince George, Prince William ordered the UK's Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying. And in a recent speech on the BBC,  he revealed that his cyberbullying concerns are still present. In fact, he thinks the lasting power of the internet is something that worries many of his parenting friends. 
"I saw that my friends and peers were worried about the risks of the very powerful tools we were putting in our children's hands," he said. "For too many families, phones and social media shattered the sanctity and protection of the home." 
Prince William said parents are largely unguided with how to ensure their children are using the internet for good and aren't victimized by often-toxic internet culture. 
"As we grappled with this, we felt a distinct absence of guidance. Should we read our children's messages?," he said. "Should we allow them to have phones and tablets in their rooms? Who do we report bullying to? We were making up the rules as we went along."
It is likely that Prince William and Kate will keep their kid's devices on pretty tough lockdown since they so clearly understand the risks of internet usage, and also understand no one has the answers for keeping kids from the potential risks of social media. 

Prince William also used his speech to call for someone else to lockdown bad behavior online: technology companies. 

He said they "still have a great deal to learn about the responsibilities that come with their significant power." And I think we can all agree on that one. Are we listening, @sherylsandberg? 

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Una Dabiero is an editorial associate at Fairygodboss. She likes pop culture, reading things that make her think, and hearing women's stories. Don’t follow her on social media (please), but do follow her on the FGB community

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