Sharjah24: The Social Media Cafe at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) has become an even more popular feature this year, particularly among high school students. On Wednesday, the cafe hosted the "Create Your Own GIFs" workshop, which attracted children aged 10 and above from three different schools.

Each student listened intently to Aya Badr, an author and copywriter, and participated in creating their own GIFs. 

“GIFs are incredibly popular across leading social platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, and even find their way into corporate presentations to add a dash of creativity and fun to a formal setting. Today, I showed the children how to craft their own GIFs,” Badr shared, noting that many attendees were already proficient in making them. Unsurprisingly, only one child at the packed session was unfamiliar with what a GIF is.

“In our day and age, children are often more tech-savvy than adults, which is very encouraging. Workshops like these, therefore, are essential as they promote creativity while also highlighting the perils associated with unsafe internet usage to an increasingly growing digitally savvy generation. I aim to inspire them to produce original content and embrace new technologies while enjoying themselves and steering clear of any associated risks,” Badr said after her session. 

Aisha, one of the participants, said, “Using GIFs is a dynamic way to communicate. They're more expressive than emojis.”

Badr is leading four workshops at the festival this year. Besides GIF creation, sessions on "Exploring the Future Digital World," "Content Creation," and "Algorithms" have all drawn large crowds.

“I educate children about how algorithms function and the importance of being cautious with their online interactions and preferences. It's eye-opening for them to learn how these technologies can track their online behaviour," Badr explained.

The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) has adeptly embraced contemporary themes, balancing the introduction of technology to children with lessons on its potential dangers and safeguarding measures. This year’s festival has elevated visitor engagement to new heights.

The 12-day event will continue until May 12 at the Expo Centre Sharjah. For more details, visit www.scrf.ae.