p>"Squid Game,"" a dystopian South Korean horror series, is the most watched TV show on Netflix. However it is rapidly becoming controversial.
/p>
p>The recent controversy surrounding "Squid Game", which is rated TV MA in the United States, concerns the increasing interest of children. This includes warnings from an Australian school that children as young as 6 are re-creating games featured in the dark and gory hit show.
/p>
p>A council in Southern England recently sent an email to parents asking them to "be vigilant" following reports that "young people are copying games and violence" from the show. In Australia, similar warnings have been issued by educators in Sydney and Western Australia.
/p>
p>The "Squid Game" is a show where characters compete for cash prizes, participating in games that are a variation on classic Korean children's games. The "losers," however, are killed at the conclusion of each round. These games, which highlight the show's unique take on children's play, are played in highly stylized arenas such as an adult-sized playground. These traditional playgrounds for children are often with bloody stains and littered with corpses following each game. The show is certainly popular among children's online cultures.
/p>
p>YouTube Kids has many successful channels that benefit from the "Squid Game" trend. These channels are designed for viewers under the age of 12. The content on YouTube includes How To Draw "Squid Game" Character videos and gameplay videos featuring "Squid Game" themes from Roblox.
/p>
p>This video game is extremely popular with children. It lets users create games and share them with others.
/p>
p>The Roblox game "Squid Game", which is a well-loved theme has been very popular. Many Roblox videos featuring "Squid Game", have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of views.
/p>
p>On both the main and kids' version of YouTube videos that are targeted at children show people (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? where people are attempting to emulate the game in a variety of real-life settings and videogames Roblox and Minecraft.
/p>
p>"Squid Game"'s most shared moment is "Red Light, Green Light". The giant animatronic doll that functions as motion sensors in this game has been widely re-memeified. The doll is often featured in video thumbnails for "Squid Game"-related children's YouTube content.
/p>
p>The majority of these children's YouTube videos are pretty harmless by themselves. These videos show how "Squid Game," a digital content platform that specifically targets young children, has managed to get its hands on digital content. But the boundaries between adult-oriented and child-oriented content online have always been murky.
/p>
p>YouTube has been the subject of many controversies over inappropriate content directed towards children. TikTok? is also affected by similar concerns about children's security and inappropriate content viewed by children. TikTok? lets children older than 13 years old to have full access to the app, however, there are reports that indicate that children younger than 13 are using it. TikTok? is currently being scrutinized by the U.S. Senate about children's safety.
/p>
p>After a record fine of $170 million issued to YouTube by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in the year 2019, major changes were introduced to make the distinction between adult and children's content clearer on the platform. YouTube now requires creators to notify YouTube that their content is intended for children. Machine learning is used to determine videos with young audiences.
/p>
p>YouTube is still a very different platform from broadcast television. YouTube's content is extremely popular for children and can be quite different from the children's television.
/p>
p>Children's YouTube content that riffs on "Squid Game" characters and scenes continues a longstanding trend of "mashup" content for children on the platform.
/p>
p>Similar to "Squid Game" content "mashups" videos harness popular themes, search terms, and characters - often featuring famous characters in thumbnail images or video titles.
/p>
p>The "Squid Game" anxiety is echoed by the "Momo∩ phenomenon of 2018 and 2019. In this instance an image of a savage figure that became associated with the moniker "Momo" went viral online (the photo actually depicts a Japanese sculpture). https://soundzpromising.com/ </p>
p>International news media reported on "Momo," which claimed that the creature appeared in children's videos on YouTube and urged children to play dangerous games and challenges.
/p>
p>Like "Squid Game" official warnings were issued to parents regarding "Momo Challenge" and advised them to be on guard. It was quickly discovered that the "Momo Challenge" is a viral hoax, was likely an elaborate ruse.
/p>
p>Momo represented parents' worst fears regarding the dangers children face through internet use. The fear of "Squid Game"'s influence on children is of the same tenor. These fears may not be a reaction to actual dangers, but an expression of our displeasure with the ease at which adult-oriented content can infiltrate websites that are geared towards young children.
/p>
p>The appeal of streaming media for all ages illustrates how streaming media challenge the traditional notions of "child-appropriate content."
/p>
p>Adult concerns about "Squid Game's" negative influence on children are based on earlier concerns about this "mashup" content, but also about children's interaction with the web more generally.
/p>
p>This article was published by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. The original article can be found here.
/p>
p>Jessica Balanzategui is a senior lecturer in cinema and screen studies at Swinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. She is supported by the Australian Children's Television Foundation.
/p>
