Award shortlist teacher’s social media warning

Social media is making many young people anxious that they are “missing out”, according to a UK teacher in the running to win a million-dollar teaching prize.

Raymond Chambers, 30, said he is concerned about the impact of youngsters spending large amounts of time on their phones, checking what their friends are doing.

He said too much time on social media can affect young people’s mental wellbeing, and if he takes home the third annual Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize this weekend, he wants to use the £810,000 winnings to help youngsters navigate the digital age.

Mr Chambers, a computer science teacher at Brooke Weston Academy in Corby, Northamptonshire, is one of 10 finalists up for the accolade, which will be awarded at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Mr Chambers told the Press Association: “What I’ve been noticing around the country and in the media is that a lot of students and young people are getting anxiety because of the amount of time they spend online and on social media. It’s a fear of missing out.

“They’ll say things like, ‘I just need to check my phone because I need to know what’s going on’.”

Social media can be a force for good, Mr Chambers said – such as viral events to raise awareness for a charity – but he added: “It can start to become negative if people use it all the time just because it’s there.”

He wants to use the money to help young people learn the skills they will need in the workplace, which can be lost by spending too much time online.

Mr Chambers said: “People don’t communicate any more. If you go to a restaurant, they’re not talking to each other, they’re on their phones.

“We’ve got to make students ready for when they finish school, and if they can’t hold a conversation then they’re going to fall apart in a job interview.”

Finalist: Raymond Chambers.