Kate, Princess of Wales and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, visited RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, England, on Thursday, October 2, 2025, marking her first official visit to the station. (AP)
Kate, Princess of Wales, has voiced concern about how smartphones and digital devices are affecting children’s emotional development. She warned that technology is creating what she called an “epidemic of disconnection,” especially among young children growing up in an increasingly digital world.
In a joint essay with Professor Robert Waldinger from Harvard Medical School, Kate wrote that while digital tools promise to keep people connected, they often do the opposite. “While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite,” she said.
Impact on Young Children
Kate, 43, who has three children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — said the issue is especially concerning for babies and toddlers surrounded by screens from birth. She emphasized that children need real human connection to develop strong social and emotional skills.
Her essay pointed to research from Harvard’s long-running adult development study, which found that close personal relationships are the most reliable predictor of happiness and good health throughout life.
“We’re raising a generation that may be more ‘connected’ than any in history while simultaneously being more isolated, more lonely, and less equipped to form the warm, meaningful relationships that research tells us are the foundation of a healthy life,” she wrote.
The Importance of Real Connection
Kate urged parents and caregivers to focus on face-to-face interaction and emotional presence. “Look the people you care about in the eye and be fully there – because that is where love begins,” she said.
She explained that babies who grow up in loving, attentive environments tend to develop stronger emotional resilience and the ability to form healthy relationships later in life. “For babies and children who are raised in attentive and loving environments are better able to develop the social and emotional skills that will allow them to grow into adults capable of building loving partnerships, families, communities. This is our children’s greatest inheritance.”
The Royal Family’s Approach
Kate’s comments align with the parenting approach she and Prince William have taken with their own children. In a recent interview, William shared that none of their children are allowed to have mobile phones yet, stressing the importance of limiting screen time and encouraging outdoor play.
The couple has often spoken about mental health, community, and early childhood development as key areas of focus for their public work.
Continuing Her Early Childhood Campaign
The essay was published through The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which Kate launched in 2021 to promote awareness about the importance of early emotional and social development.
Following the essay’s release, she visited an Oxford charity on Thursday that supports families with young children, continuing her campaign to highlight how family interactions and supportive environments can shape a child’s future.
Kate’s message reinforces her belief that while technology has benefits, true connection begins with personal attention, eye contact, and love.
