The young innovator noticed thay social media usage had affected reading habits among people.

The amount of online content available via streaming services, social media and platforms like YouTube is enough to keep people hooked, especially since outdoor activities as well as human interaction were restricted during the lockdowns. The rise of online games and visual material over the past few years, may also have taken a toll on other essential habits like reading or even expressing feelings through the written word.

Options like e-books or audio books, which are making it simpler for people to access literature in the digital age, demonstrate how technology can be effectively used for encouraging people to read more. After noticing a lack of inclination towards literature among his peers, as a consequence of social media usage and increased screen time during the pandemic, a student from the UAE has launched a platform to reignite the love for books.

The app called LiteraryLabs, is meant to attract those with an interest in literature, only to nurture their zeal for reading further, by offering diverse material for their tastes. With an e-library of more than 200 books available through a few taps on a smartphone, people with busy schedules can consume a good amount of literary content, even if they use the app twice a week.

But inculcating an passion for reading isn't all that LiteraryLabs is designed for, since it also offers a platform for aspiring writers or just expressive souls, to publish their own short stories or poems. As the app polishes the writing skills of local talent in the UAE, it enhances grammar among the users via quizzes along with other activities available on the portal.

With a passion for computer science, a 17-year-old Ishan Vaish from Dubai is the mind behind this app, which has been downloaded by hundreds, little more than a month after it was launched.

Previously students in the region have also created solutions like AI to observe students, so that teachers can stay up to speed with engagement levels during virtual lessons.