“Like”… When the “Like” Becomes an Issue!
A large audience of children attended the family-oriented, educational play “Like” at the Kuwait Autism Center theater in the West Mishref area, as part of the 18th Summer Cultural Festival. The production presented an educational theatrical experience addressing one of the most prominent issues affecting family life: children’s relationship with screens and social media.
The play explored, in a simplified family-friendly manner, the impact of excessive use of smartphones and smart devices on children, and the potential consequences for their behavior, family relationships, and daily life. It emphasized that technology itself is not the problem, but rather how it is used.
“Like” highlighted the importance of achieving a balance in technology use, while drawing attention to the family’s role in monitoring children’s activities and understanding the content they are exposed to. The production stressed the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding rather than mere prohibition.
The play also addressed cyberbullying and its psychological and behavioral effects on children. The performance atmosphere successfully engaged young audiences, particularly because the educational message was conveyed through stories and characters close to their everyday world.
The choice of a family theater format was well-suited to the subject matter, bringing children and their parents together in a shared experience and opening space for reflection on the time children spend in front of screens, the type of content they consume, and how to use technology in a more balanced way.
The title “Like” resonated with the language of social media, which has become part of the lives of children and adolescents, carrying connotations of seeking interaction and acceptance in the digital world. The production then moved on to pose deeper questions about what happens behind the screen and its impact on children and families.
The play was based on a story and poems by Othman Al-Shatti, with writing and screenplay by Reem Marzouq, directed by Yousef Al-Baghl, and produced by Media Force. It starred Abdullah Al-Turkmani, Ali Shishtari, Mohammed Al-Shaayji, Ahmed Youssef, and others.
The performance elicited clear engagement from children, who followed the events with interest, in an experience that combined entertainment with an educational message, presenting a topic that is strongly present in today’s family lives through a theatrical style close to the audience.
