Chemistry teacher 'Shabaz Says' warns his millions of followers about the realities of social media

Granada Reports reporter Siham Ali sits down with Shabaz Ali about his rise on social media and the message behind his first book 'I'm Rich, You're Poor'.

A chemistry teacher is warning young people about the realities of social media - after amassing millions of followers himself.

Shabaz Ali, 30, from Blackburn, gained a combined following of over three million across Instagram and TikTok, after he went viral for his "I'm Rich, You're Poor" series.

In the videos, Shabaz pokes fun at the lifestyles of rich influencers and their social media posts.

He said: "It started from me speaking to pupils about the cost of living crisis really, and watching people struggle seeing people have so much."

His students would aspire to be like the influencers they saw online, both in terms of wealth and lifestyle.

Shabaz said: "It wasn't just money... it went so much beyond that.

"It went to what they eat, what they wear, what they look like, how they travel, how they love... everything is constantly bombarded with you're not doing well enough."

His rise on social media was boosted by a viral video where he commentated over a video in which a woman was restocking her ice cube trays to an "absurd" amount of ice cubes.

He said: "It was an absurd amount of ice! More than you ever need. It was me watching this going 'surely you can’t have a job if you can do this all day.'"

Now, Shabaz has written a book, in which he talks about how social media can set unrealistic expectations for people of all ages.

He said: "I'm not saying that inherently having money or being attractive, or being healthy is bad. I'm just saying remember how it makes other people feel.

"And one of the lines in the book is that you know, I don't want to single, poor and ugly for the rest of my life. I would like to elevate myself beyond that, I do want to be in a relationship.

"I just think there's a fine line between having something and telling people how much you have."

"Find a community online, find a bunch of people that are similar to you and have fun. The biggest thing is once you know how social media can make you feel and you reflect on it, don't let it make you feel that way, reduce the impact it has on you."

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