Like Squid Game Content
"Squid Game," a dystopian South Korean horror series, is the most watched TV series on Netflix. However it is fast becoming controversial.
The latest controversy that has erupted around "Squid Game," which is rated TV-MA in United States, relates to the fascination it has generated amongst young children. This includes warnings from an Australian school that children as younger than 6 are playing games featured in the dark and gory hit show. Similar warnings were issued in Australia by educators from Sydney and Western Australia.
The "Squid Game" is a show where characters compete for cash prizes while engaging in games that are a variation on the classic Korean children's games. The "losers," however, are killed at the conclusion of every round. In addition to highlighting the show's bizarre approach to child's play, these games are staged in highly stylized arenas, like an adult-sized playground for children. These traditional children's play areas are often covered in blood and littered with corpses following each game. The show is definitely a craze within children's digital worldviews.
YouTube Kids has many successful channels that benefit from the "Squid Game” trend. These channels are for viewers under the age of 12. This YouTube content includes How to Draw "Squid Game", character videos and gameplay videos that are inspired by Roblox's "Squid Game".
The Roblox game "Squid Game", which is a very popular theme, has been very popular. Many "Squid Game" Roblox videos have hundreds of thousands, or even millions of views.
On both the kids' and main version of YouTube videos that are targeted at children feature users (often children) playing these "Squid Game" inspired games in Roblox and Minecraft, with the "Red Light, Green Light" challenge becoming a wildly popular trend. This challenge is also a trend on TikTok where people are attempting to emulate the game in a range of real-life settings and in videogames Roblox and Minecraft. screamy guy
The "Red Light, Green Light” scene has become a hugely popular meme. The animatronic doll that acts like motion sensors in "Squid Game" has been widely used to create memes. This doll is often featured in thumbnails on YouTube videos for "Squid Game", related children's content.
These YouTube videos of children are quite innocent. But, they illustrate how "Squid Game" has crept into digital content specifically aimed at young children. But the lines between adult and child-oriented content online have always been murky.
YouTube has been the focus of many controversies over inappropriate content directed at children. TikTok has also faced controversy concerning the safety of children using the app and problematic content being watched by children including anti-vaccine videos. TikTok allows full access to the app to children older than 13, but reports show children much younger are using it: Like YouTube, TikTok is currently facing an U.S. Senate hearing on kids' safety.S. Federal Trade Commission, in 2019 made some significant changes to make clear the distinction between children's and adult content on the platform. YouTube now requires creators to inform YouTube that their content is designed for children. Machine-learning is utilized to identify videos with an identifiable target audience.
YouTube is still a very different platform from broadcast television. YouTube's content is popular with children and often differs from the children's television.
Children's YouTube content that is a riff on "Squid Game" characters and scenes continues a longstanding trend of "mashup" content for children on the platform.
Similar to "Squid Game" content, "mashup" videos harness trending themes, search terms and characters - often featuring popular characters in thumbnails and video titles.
The "Momo” phenomenon of 2018 and 2019 echos the growing worldwide fear of children participating in "Squid Game” challenges. In this instance an image of a sinister character that was later attributed to the moniker "Momo" went viral online (the photo 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 encouraging kids to take part in dangerous games and challenges.
As is now occurring in the context of "Squid Game,"" official warnings were sent to parents regarding the "Momo Challenge," advising them to be vigilant. It was soon clear that the "Momo Challenge" was probably an internet-based hoax.
Momo was a symbol of parents' most feared fears regarding children's use of the internet. Concerns about "Squid Game's" influence on children share the same tone The fears may not be a response to real dangers, but rather a expression of our displeasure with how easily adult-oriented media can be incorporated into the internet, especially for young children.
The inter-generational appeal of streaming media shows how streaming media challenge the traditional notions of "child-appropriate content."
Adult fears about "Squid Game's" malign influence on children build on earlier concerns about this "mashup" content as well as children's interactions with the web more generally.
This article is republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. The original article can be found here.
Jessica Balanzategui, a senior lecturer in screen and cinema studies at Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn (Victoria, Australia) is Jessica Balanzategui. She receives financial support from the Australian Children's Television Foundation.
