Prince William laments ‘loss of debating’ due to social media

29 Jan 2026 • 2:04 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

The Prince of Wales remarked that society has "lost the art of debating" due to the prevalence of social media and text messaging.

Prince William made the remarks as he met young people who have benefitted from BBC Children in Need funding through the charity’s We Move FWD programme.

It comes after the Princess of Wales warned about the “epidemic of disconnection” created by smartphones and other gadgets and urged society to “invest in the relationships you have with each other”.

Kate wrote in an essay collaborating with a Harvard professor: “While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite."