One of the goals of the International Baccalaureate is to develop ‘inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people’. No one could challenge the value of that mission but is worth asking if the environment that young people learn in has made these goals harder to achieve. 

As someone who is far from being a digital native, it often seems that the world is far harder for students to navigate than in the past. On personal level, the spread of social media platforms can mean that bullying now follows students to their homes and even their bedrooms. Looking at life after graduation, politics seems to have been bent out of shape by Twitter storms which obliterate the centre ground and polarise opinion in any argument

But the biggest question is probably this one: Does the ability to access a whole world of information – a lot of it dubious – make the student more knowledgeable, or just more confused about where the truth lies? 

These are some of the concerns that have inspired The World Today, the magazine of the international affairs think-tank Chatham House, to ask school students answer, in a 500-word essay, a simple question: ‘Does social media make your life better or worse?’. From that question we would like to know whether young people think it is necessary – or even possible – to regulate global tech platforms.

This is our second school writing competition, launched last year in association with the Financial Times newspaper, to encourage young people to take an interest in the problems of global government at a time of huge political and social change. 

The competition is open to school students all over the world aged between 16 and 18. The winner will be invited to receive a prize certificate at Chatham House’s London Conference, to be held at the historic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in June. This year the conference will have added glamour – it marks the centenary of the institute’s founding in 1920. 

You can see terms and conditions of the competition and a submission form HERE..  

The latest issue of The World Today focuses on how Artificial Intelligence is changing the world. Here is a link to an article looking at the astonishing rise of digital companions, a form of robot which wants to be your best friend. Their popularity seems to be the result in part of the psychological stress of social media.  

In weeks to come we will be providing online material including animated explainers on the sometimes-obscure terms used in current affairs. We hope to spark students’ interest in international politics, as well as showcasing some ideas about careers in international affairs that inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people might like to pursue.