"Being Russian is fashionable and cool today": "Children’s Blogging Lab" held at the National Centre RUSSIA
The educational seminar "Children’s Blogging Lab" was held on 12 May at the National Centre RUSSIA. The event brought together young bloggers, their parents, representatives of the state, the media sphere, digital platforms and creative industries. The bloggers present in the hall had a combined audience of 157 million subscribers.
Deputy Chief of the Presidential Directorate for Social Projects, Alexei Zharich, spoke about the importance of blogger content in the era of digital transformation, as well as the importance of preserving one’s identity.
"Being Russian is fashionable and cool today. A great many trends are coming out of Russia, and bloggers often create and support these trends. That is why the country needs your support and your content. We are ready to listen to you and help you," said Alexei Zharich.
Special attention during the discussions was paid to cultural identity, media education and values in the digital environment. Deputy Chief of the Presidential Directorate for Social Projects, Alexander Zhuravsky, discussed these topics with the young bloggers.
"According to the latest research, teenagers spend up to nine hours a day online. They watch bloggers’ content, educational videos and AI-generated videos, and play games. We understand how important it is to create the right projects for children and young people. But it is one thing when content for them is created by adults, and quite another when it is created by teenagers themselves. In September, the Institute for Internet Development will launch a contest for children’s content in the blogging sphere, where children and teenagers will be able to take part with their own projects. You create content watched by your peers, and you understand your audience better than anyone. At the Institute for Internet Development, we are ready to support your projects," noted Director General of the ANO "Internet Development Institute " (IRI), Alexei Goreslavsky.
The main topic of the seminar was the creation of positive content for zoomers and Generation Alpha. During the event, experts discussed the role of children’s blogging in shaping the cultural and public agenda, as well as media literacy, digital safety and support for young creators.
"Many Generation Alpha bloggers have gathered in the hall today. You know your audience well and communicate with it every day. The value of sessions like this lies in the exchange of knowledge — in what you will take away from here and what we will be able to create together. We are ready to help you. You are a very smart generation, and you have already achieved a great deal. In a couple of decades, you will be the ones shaping the country’s economy and politics. The next generation, Generation Beta, is already following you, watching you and learning from you. It is important that they learn the right values," said First Deputy Director General of Innopraktika, Natalia Popova.
First Vice-President of Gazprombank, partner of the "TopFest" project, Andrei Serov, noted the highly energetic pace of development of the Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging and expressed confidence that Innopraktika’s initiatives in this area would have a systematic impact on promoting important values among the target audience in the very near future.
Director of the ANO "Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging", Natalia Lokteva, said that the bloggers present in the hall had a combined audience of 157 million subscribers. She also spoke about the Institute’s plans and projects: "At the Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging, we do not produce bloggers; we produce events involving them. With the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, we will create 28 new songs by young bloggers this year. On 12 June, Russia Day, the large-scale 'TopFest' festival will be held with their participation at Luzhniki, and will then go on tour across 12 cities in our country. Thanks to the support of the IRI, filming of the reality show 'The Prince and the Pauper' will begin this summer. We support positive content and work to help you develop your projects."
Head of the VKontakte zoomer editorial team, Gala Gagarinskaya, shared an interesting observation about trends: "A lot has changed this year. Previously, bloggers were looking for themselves in digital chaos; this year, the trend is towards returning to one’s true self. At VK, we conducted a major study and identified the trends gaining strength this year: reinventing the past, the Asian wave, Russianness and mental health."
The young bloggers greeted Vlad Kobyakov, the headliner of the "TopFest" festival, a blogger and now also an actor, with great enthusiasm. The Lab featured a trailer for the film "Unboxing", in which Vlad Kobyakov plays the lead role. The film will be released on 25 June.
The topic of bloggers in cinema was continued by General Producer of KinoTsekh, Andrei Lipov: "We work with bloggers deliberately. We give beginner and children’s bloggers small roles so that they can get used to the filming schedule. The comedy 'Not Home Alone' with Milana Khametova has become a full-fledged franchise. The first film grossed 220 million, the second 340 million, and the third film will be released on 21 May. We forecast a box office of 500 million. We plan to shoot the fourth film in partnership with the Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging, and will soon announce casting calls among bloggers for leading roles in this and the following films."
The guests of "Children’s Blogging Lab" also heard from ON Media Development Director Igor Khomsky, copyright expert Yelena Grin, media manager Nikolai Krupatin, competitive intelligence expert Andrei Masalovich "CyberDed", and Sergei Boitsov, a multiple Russian record holder, skydiver and BASE jumper.
One of the most dynamic moments of the event was the Music Lotto, hosted by Anna Dunayeva, head of the "Razgon" project, where the participants discussed current music tracks. The most active participants in the discussion, Danya Hype, Liza Lokteva and Ksenia Ignatova, earned a certificate for the production of their song and music video by the Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging.
The culmination of the event was the signing by those present of the Charter of Constructive Blogging, a document dedicated to the principles of responsible, safe and meaningful digital projects.
At the end of the event, Director of the ANO "Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging", Natalia Lokteva, thanked those present and the experts, and invited them to the biggest event of the year for Generation Alpha, the "TopFest" festival, which will be held on 12 June at the Grand Sports Arena of Luzhniki in Moscow.
"I am glad to see here those who are already influencing the children’s and teenage media environment," noted Natalia Lokteva. "Today, for a child, a blogger is not just a person on a phone screen, but an example, a voice and a point of reference. This is a huge influence, and it is important to handle it responsibly. Children are watching you, especially those who are younger. They repeat your jokes, your intonations, your reactions and your conflicts. Let us create a trend for kindness and friendship. Even algorithms read it better when you support one another in your releases. Hate and bullying, both in life and on social media, are destructive and will certainly come back like a boomerang. Contest in blogging is normal; it makes you grow, but harassment does not make anyone stronger. Synergy between bloggers is far more important. When you support one another, new formats, new songs, new projects and a healthy environment emerge, one where children want to be. I am sincerely glad that the trend for Russianness is developing among young people. It is very important that you show your audience Russia as living, modern, beautiful and strong. Your viewers should see what a great country we have."
The educational seminar "Children’s Blogging Lab" was organised by the ANO "Institute for the Support of Children’s Blogging" with the support of the ANO "Mediapraktika".
Event photobank
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