"Squid Game,"" a dystopian South Korean horror series, is the most watched television series on Netflix. However it is rapidly becoming controversial.
The latest controversy to arise about "Squid Game," which is rated TV-MA in United States, relates to the fascination it has generated among children. This includes warnings from an Australian school that children as young as 6 are creating games that were featured on the dark and violent hit show. In Australia, similar warnings have been issued by educators in Sydney and Western Australia.
The "Squid Game" involves characters competing for cash prizes, taking part in challenges that enhance traditional Korean children's games. The "losers," however, are killed at the conclusion of every round. These games, which emphasise the show's bizarre take on the game of children, are played in highly stylized arenas such as a large-sized playground for children. These traditional playgrounds for children are often left with blood and littered with corpses after each game. This show is a huge success in children's digital culture.
A variety of channels that have been successful on YouTube Kids (designed for viewers younger than 12) have benefited from the "Squid Game" trend. This YouTube content includes How To Draw "Squid Game" Character videos, and gameplay videos that are inspired by Roblox's "Squid Game".
"Squid Game" has become a very common theme in these user programmed Roblox games. Many "Squid Game" Roblox videos have hundreds of thousands or even millions of views.
On both the main and kids' version of YouTube videos targeted at children show users (often children) playing these "Squid Game" inspired games in Roblox and Minecraft, with the "Red Light, Green Light" challenge emerging as a particularly popular trend. This challenge is also a popular trend on TikTok and users are playing the game in a wide variety of real-life settings and in videogames Roblox and Minecraft.
The "Red Light, Green Light" scene has been deemed to be one of "Squid Game's" most popular moments: The giant animatronic doll that functions as a deadly motion sensor in this game has been extensively popularized. The doll is often featured in video thumbnails for "Squid Game"-related children's YouTube content.
Most of these children's YouTube videos are quite innocuous by themselves. These videos show how "Squid Game," a digital content platform specifically targeting young children, has managed to get its hands on digital content. But the lines between content geared towards children and adults online has always been a mystery.
YouTube has been at the center of numerous controversy concerning inappropriate content targeted at children. TikTok has faced similar controversies regarding the safety of children on the app as well as content that is not safe for children that children are watching, such as anti-vaccine videos. TikTok allows children over 13 years old to have full access to the app, however, there are reports that indicate that children younger than 13 are using it. A U.S. Senate hearing is currently being held to discuss TikTok's safety for children. Federal Trade Commission in 2019 and introduced sweeping changes to make the distinction between children's and adult content more clear on the platform. For instance, creators are now required to declare on YouTube that their content is for children. Machine-learning is also utilized to identify videos that specifically target young viewers.
Despite these changes, YouTube remains a very different beast to broadcast television. The content that is popular with children on both the main and children's versions of the platform can differ significantly from children's TV.
Children's YouTube content that riffs on "Squid Game" characters and scenes continues a long-running trend of "mashup" content for children on the platform.
Similar to "Squid Game" content "mashups" videos harness popular themes or search terms and characters - usually featuring famous characters in thumbnail imagery or video titles.
The growing global concern over children's participation in "Squid Game" challenges is reminiscent of the "Momo" phenomenon of 2018 and 2019. In this instance the image of a sinister figure that was subsequently attributed to the moniker "Momo" became viral on the internet (the image was actually of an actual Japanese sculpture).
An international news cycle emerged about "Momo," claiming the creature was appearing in children's videos on YouTube and urging children to participate in deadly games and challenges.
Similar to "Squid Game", official warnings were issued to parents regarding "Momo Challenge" and advised them to be alert. Screamyguy It quickly became clear that the "Momo Challenge", a viral hoax, was likely an elaborate ruse.
Momo was an example of the worst fears parents have about children's internet use. Concerns over "Squid Game's" influence on children have a similar tenor This may not be a response to actual dangers, but a manifestation of our displeasure at the ease with which adult-oriented content can seep into the internet, especially for young children.
The inter-generational appeal of streaming media shows how streaming media challenges traditional notions of "child-appropriate content."
Adult fears about "Squid Game's" harmful influence on children are based on earlier concerns about this "mashup" content, but also about children's interactions with the web more generally.
This article was published by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. The original article here.
Jessica Balanzategui is a senior lecturer in cinema and screen studies at Swinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. She is funded by the Australian Children's Television Foundation.