Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have a new hosting gig. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to host a specially curated edition of TIME100 Talks, the publication’s series of virtual conversations. The topic of the couple’s episode is “Engineering a Better World,” which according to TIME, “reflects a foundational element of The Duke and Duchess’ nonprofit Archewell – building online communities that are more compassionate, safe, and trustworthy.” The upcoming virtual event on Oct. 20 will feature conversations with several guests, including the husband of Meghan’s close friend Serena Williams : Alexis Ohanian, who is the founder of 776 and co-founder of Reddit.
© Getty ImagesPer TIME, Meghan and Harry will make the open and closing remarks during the episode, as well as lead the conversations and discuss how to create safe, trustworthy and compassionate online communities with TIME editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal. “Since launching in April, TIME100 Talks has focused on solutions and visions of a better future through conversations with extraordinary leaders from around the world,” Edward said. “This special episode marks our first collaboration, and we are thrilled to partner with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to explore these urgent issues.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, both TIME100 alumni, are among the most influential voices in the world,” Dan Macsai, TIME executive editor and editorial director of the TIME100, added. “We look forward to working with them to elevate essential voices and highlight real solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our time.”
© Getty ImagesEarlier this week, Meghan explained why she is no longer on social media. “For my own self-preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time,” the Duchess confessed at Fortune’s virtual Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit. “I had a personal account years ago, which I closed down and then we had one through the institution and our office that was in the U.K. that wasn’t managed by us that was a whole team and so I think that comes with the territory for the job that you have. I’ve made a personal choice to not have any account, so I don’t know what’s out there, and in many ways that’s helpful for me.”
The Duchess expressed her concern for people who have “become obsessed” with social media. “It is so much a part of our daily culture for so many people that it’s an addiction like many others. And there are very few things in this world where you call the person who’s engaging with it a user. But if you look at social media and what it’s doing in the same capacity as it does in creating addiction, what is the comp there? People who are addicted to drugs are called users and people who are on social media are called users. And there is something algorithmically that is in there that is creating this obsession that I think is very unhealthy for a lot of people,” she said.”
“So I would just say as you are out there building your brand, as you are out there engaging with your friends online, just be conscious of what you’re doing and understand that it is not limited to that one moment, that you are creating an echo chamber for yourself,” Meghan continued. ”So the more that you engage with things that are negative not just for other people that you might not know but what it’s doing to you as a human being will really have lasting effects. And that there is an alternative to engaging in that kind of stuff so I would just say to be very conscious and responsible. I don’t think people have even started to scratch the surface on what this is doing to us and I wish more for especially the younger generation of women. You have the power to turn this around.”
