PRINCE Harry has warned young people that social media is more addictive than illegal drugs without anything close to the same payoff.

The Duke of Sussex told teenagers that the ‘hit’ they get from a popular tweet might seem free, but cost-benefit analyses have shown that cannabis not only gets you higher but is cheaper in the long run.

He said: “Don’t think I’m recommending taking illegal drugs because I’m not. My youthful experimentation is in the past and hopefully everyone’s forgotten about it now.

“But if you look at the hours people plough into Facebook and the pathetically tiny dopamine release they’re chasing compared to even a few pulls on a skunkweed spliff, there really is no contest.

“A couple of lines of incensed invective on Twitter can leave you angry, resentful and unable to make clear decisions for eight hours. A couple of lines of coke will have worn off in two. Less if it’s the street stuff.

“Don’t waste your life scrolling through social media. Do a good solid hit of acid, realise everything's bullshit and move on.”