Former US President Barack Obama in an interview with England’s Prince Harry on BBC Radio 4’s stated to the Prince he was concerned social media was “corroding civil discourse.” In his first interview since he left the presidency in 2017.
“One of the dangers of the internet is that people can have entirely different realities,” Obama said
“They can be cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases. Things aren’t as simple as they’ve been portrayed in whatever chat room you’ve been in.
The question 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 Balkanisation of society and allows ways of finding common ground.”
The interview happened in September in Toronto, Canada. Simultaneously whilst an athletics tournament founded by Prince Harry for wounded former soldiers called the ‘Invictus Games’ was ongoing.
Obama has said he feels an air of serenity, although he did not mention President Trump by name, he feels concerned about the future of the US
“There was a sense that we had run a good race,” he added.
The Former President furnished Prince Harry with information about his schedule: “I wake up later, it’s wonderful to be able to control your day.”
Prince Harry started the interview with: “This is the first interview you’ve said ‘yes’ to doing since you handed over the reins”, to which Obama replied: “that’s true”.
Harry and Megan Markle an actress in the US are set to be married in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, by London, next year on May 19th
Public servants have expressed fears that an invitation from the Royals to Obama for the wedding would cause a greater divide between the UK and Trump after the squabbles that have been going on the British press reports.