Prince Harry urges to rebuild 'digital landscape' that may have been 'dividing us'

Prince Harry believes that the "digital landscape is unwell." The Duke of Sussex is urging major corporations to rethink and redesign social media that has "created the conditions for a crisis of hate."

The former royal has penned an op-ed for Fast Company. In the message, the father-of-one reveals that he and his wife Meghan Markle have been reaching out to the leaders and heads of major corporations with a request to make changes in the digital landscape. They have reportedly been committed to the task for over four weeks during which they have been calling organisations that "we all use in our daily lives."

"The digital landscape is unwell and companies like yours have the chance to reconsider your role in funding and supporting online platforms that have contributed to, stoked, and created the conditions for a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth," Prince Harry's message reads.

The efforts towards making a positive change towards online platforms were made at the launch of "civil rights and racial justice campaign called Stop Hate For Profit," the campaign urged companies to boycott Facebook ads for the month of July.

Through his message, Harry aims to educate people about the price we are paying for enjoying social media activities that we believe are free resources.

"But it's not actually free; the cost is high. Every time you click they learn more about you. Our information, private data, and unknown habits are traded on for advertising space and dollars. The price we're all paying is much higher than it appears. Whereas normally we're the consumer buying a product, in this ever-changing digital world, we are the product," his message continues.

The duke urges online communities to be "defined more by compassion than hate; by truth instead of misinformation; by equity and inclusiveness instead of injustice and fearmongering; by free, rather than weaponised, speech."

He goes on to reveal that in his conversation with researchers in the field, he learned about how social media affects young people. And it turns out it is "incredibly troubling."

He draws attention towards the changing times with a "potential to be transformative." In his opinion and in the opinion of experts, we now have "an opportunity to do better and remake the digital world."

Speaking on behalf of "leaders across the racial justice movement, experts in humane tech, and advocates of mental health," he insists that "we do not have the luxury of time." This is the time to make a "meaning digital reform."

"We can—and must—encourage these platforms to redesign themselves in a more responsible and compassionate way. The world will feel it, and we will all benefit from it," Harry concludes.