In an interview fit for both a prince and a former president, Prince Harry spoke with Barack Obama as a guest editor for BBC Radio 4’s flagship program “Today,” which broadcasted on Wednesday, The New York Times reports. Topics ranged from life after the White House to the royal wedding and even boxers or briefs, but the two men also took the time to highlight a very important topic that’s prevalent in today’s political society: social media.
Obama took a moment to “warn of the dangers” of social media, according to NBC News, and although neither of the men mentioned anyone specifically (but hey, we’re looking at you, Trump), he spoke in general about the use of Twitter among people in power.
“The social media landscape has changed dramatically… issues of trolling, extremism, fake news and cyber-bullying are major social issues,” said Prince Harry on the topic during the interview. “Is there more that you could have done as president to get ahead of some of these issues?”
“The question I think really has to do with how do we harness this technology in a way that allows a multiplicity of voices, allows a diversity of views, but doesn’t lead to a Balkanization of our society but rather continues to promote ways of finding common ground,” responded Obama. “And all of us in leadership have to find ways in which we can create a common space on the internet.” (Say it louder for the people in the back!)
“One of the dangers of the internet is that people can have entirely different realities,” Obama continued. “They can be cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases.” (Insert one of Trump’s many “fake news” Twitter rants here)
Obama also called upon the youth to start making change in their communities disconnected from the internet, but didn’t agree with the popular belief that millennials are lazy, according to NBC News.
“This generation coming up is the most sophisticated, the most tolerant in many ways, the most embracing of diversity, the most tech-savvy, the most entrepreneurial but they don’t have much faith in existing institutions,” said Obama.
The internet and social media in general can be just as dangerous as they are addicting, especially for those in power. So although Obama didn’t exactly “at” President Trump (although he may as well have), it’s an important lesson to remember whether you’re the President of the United States or not!