Our Children and “Hell’s Game”
In the past, we feared for our children from the street, from bad companions, and from any stranger who might approach them. Therefore, we felt reassured when a child returned home and closed the door to his room. Today... the situation has changed. A child may be in his room, right before our eyes, with only a closed door separating us from him, yet in reality, he exists in another world whose inhabitants we do not know, with whom he communicates, and what the nature of that communication is. Indeed, he is physically close to us... but he may be completely distant from us in thought and psychological state.
I followed this dramatic work with intense focus and admiration, due to the strength of its message, as well as its direction and acting. It deeply moved me and struck a resounding bell within me, coupled with a simple question: Do we really know what our children do when they close their bedroom doors and turn on their phones?
“Hell Game” is a three-episode miniseries, part of the “The Full Story” series, which poses an important question to the entire family at its conclusion: Is our son or child safe when interacting with the phone he holds or the computer he browses in his room, in an open world without supervision or dialogue? Electronic dangers are very real; a child encounters them in front of him, in an attractive and seamless manner, not in a frightening way. The danger may take the form of a game, a challenge, an adventure, or a friend.
The isolation of our children with their electronic devices often gradually widens the distance between them and their families, increasing their attachment to whoever captivates them behind the screen, whether a game, an adventure, or a person. I consider this type of dramatic work an educational alarm bell, more than a means of entertainment, because this kind of drama says what dozens of lectures and awareness campaigns fail to convey.
True supervision in our world today is not merely about checking the phone every night, but rather building a relationship with the child that makes him come to you voluntarily—whether to his mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, or any close family member—when he feels that something unusual or strange is happening to him. This wonderful dramatic work personally placed me before a sensitive question: Is it beneficial for our children to watch such series? The answer is certainly not easy, as some details of this dramatic work are harsh and may leave a psychological impact depending on the child’s age.
Older children, who have begun to enter the world of electronic games and social media independently, may benefit from watching awareness works of this type, provided that one or both parents are present, whenever the age classification permits, so that there can be dialogue and answers to questions that may arise in their imaginations during viewing. Here, the screen transforms from a source of danger into an opportunity for dialogue and posing questions to them during viewing, such as: What would you do if this happened to you? Would you tell us or someone very close to you at that time? What if someone asked you not to tell us? And if any mistake you made was accompanied by threats in any form, how would you react?
True protection for children today lies in telling them: If you make a mistake, come to us and do not be afraid. This is a very important statement that you must convince your child of, so that fear of punishment does not drive him into the arms of someone who blackmails or threatens him.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this dramatic work through its message, style, and mastery at all levels.
Abla Al-Ahmad
