Sarah Ferguson has released a heart touching statement to raise her voice for a concerning cause.
Just a day after missing the prestigious commemoration events of VE Day 80th anniversary at Buckingham Palace, Fergie penned an emotional message to highlight the impact of cruel social media scrutiny on users, especially youngsters.
The ex-wife of Prince Andrew wrote an opinion piece for LBC to raise awareness on how the internet trolling and bullying has been affecting children's lives.
"When I took my first tentative steps onto the public stage in the 1980s, people in the spotlight faced intense and sometimes cruel scrutiny from the tabloid press," Sarah began in her article.
She continued, "Some of those headlines affected me deeply at the time. Back then, I spent time and energy trying to please everybody but now I’ve learned that’s impossible."
"However, I am increasingly concerned about what the next generation face in terms of commentary on social media. It’s not just people in the public eye, but anyone – including young children – who can become the brunt of cyberbullying and trolling," the 65-year-old added.
The children's author and philanthropist further noted, "I find it very sad that people spend so much time and energy being so cruel to others."
"Our teenagers have become more anxious and depressed. There was a notable rise in depression which started in 2012, around the time many secondary school children started to get smartphones," Sarah highlighted.
She explained how "Excessive social media use has been linked to increased stress, sleep problems, and even self-harm."
The mother of Princess Beatrice and Eugenie expressed that, "We do know that in the worst cases, children have taken their own lives after being pursued by cyberbullies."
Sarah also highlighted that, "Technology firms sometimes even refuse to offer access to information on the phones of children who have died to their parents, citing arguments about privacy. This is not right."
In her article, Sarah Ferguson also commended the work of Youth Impact Council, which is a nonprofit organisation founded by the mom-of-two last year.
As per Sarah, the aim of the organisation is amplify the voices of youth activists and to build a bridge to combat "intergenerational gap by connecting our young people with established leaders."
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah did not join the Royal Family members for the commemoration events of VE Day 80th anniversary at Buckingham Palace.
The York family's notable absence from the major royal event is being perceived as yet another snub by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
