p>The dystopian South Korean horror series "Squid Game" has become the most watched Netflix TV show however, it is fast becoming as controversial as it is a hit.
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p>The recent controversy over "Squid Game", which is graded TV MA in the United States, concerns the increasing interest of children. A school in the Australian school has warned that children at a young age of 6 are creating the same games that were featured in the dark and gory hit series.
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p>After receiving reports that "young people are copying violence and games from the show," a council in Southern England sent an email to parents, urging them to be "vigilant". Similar warnings were issued in Australia by educators from Western Australia and Sydney.
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p>In "Squid Game," characters are competing for cash prizes by participating in challenges that are akin to the traditional Korean children's games, with the "losers" being killed at the end of each round. Further highlighting the show's twisted approach to child's play, the games are played out in highly stylized arenas, like an adult-sized children's playground. These traditional playgrounds for children are often with bloody stains and littered with corpses after each game. The show is certainly an instant hit in children's digital worldviews.
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p>YouTube Kids has many popular channels that profit from the "Squid Game∩ trend. These channels are designed for viewers who are younger than 12. This YouTube content includes How To Draw "Squid Game" characters, videos of characters, and gameplay videos with "Squid Game" themes from Roblox.
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p>This video game is extremely loved by children. It allows users to create games and share them with others.
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p>The Roblox game "Squid Game", which is a popular theme, has become extremely popular. Many "Squid Game" Roblox videos have hundreds of thousands or even millions of views.
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p>On both the main and children's version of YouTube videos that are targeted at children showcase people (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?, with people emulating the game in a vast variety of real-life settings and videogames Roblox and Minecraft.
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p>"Squid Game"'s most popular moment is "Red Light, Green Light". The meme-ified giant animatronic doll that functions as motion sensors in this game has been widely re-memeified. This doll is often featured in thumbnails on YouTube videos of "Squid Game" and other related content for children.
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p>These YouTube videos of children are quite harmless. These videos demonstrate how "Squid Game," a digital content platform that is specifically designed for children has managed to get its hands on digital content. But the boundaries between content geared towards children and adults online has always been a mystery.
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p>YouTube has been the subject of many controversies over inappropriate content directed at children. TikTok? has been a target of similar controversy related to children's safety on the app and problematic content being viewed by children, such as anti-vaccine videos. TikTok? gives children who are 13 years old full access to the app but reports indicate that children younger than 13 are using it. TikTok? is currently being challenged by the U.S. Senate about children's safety.
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p>After a record fine of $170 million handed down to YouTube by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in the year 2019, major changes were introduced to make the distinction between children's and adult content clearer on the platform. YouTube now requires creators to inform YouTube that their content is intended for children. Machine-learning is used to recognize videos that have young viewers.
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p>YouTube is a different platform from broadcast television. YouTube's content is popular for children and can be quite different from television for children.
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p>YouTube content for children that riffs on "Squid Game∩ characters and scenes continue a long-running trend of "mashups" content for children.
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p>Like "Squid Game" content, "mashup" videos harness popular themes, search terms and characters - often featuring characters from popular movies in thumbnail imagery and video titles.
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p>The "Squid Game" panic reverberates with the "Momo∩ phenomenon of 2018 and 2019. A photo of a demon-like figure went viral on the internet. The photo was actually an actual Japanese sculpture.
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p>The international news media covered "Momo," which claimed that the creature was featured in children's videos on YouTube in order to encourage them to take part in dangerous games and challenges.
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p>As with "Squid Game", official warnings were issued to parents regarding "Momo Challenge" and advised them to be alert. It was quickly discovered that the "Momo Challenge", the viral hoax, was most likely a ruse. https://penzu.com/p/3d4bf076 </p>
p>Momo embodied parents' worst fears about the dangers of children's internet use. The concern about "Squid Game"'s influence on children is of the same tenor. These fears may not be a response to actual dangers, but rather an expression of our displeasure at the ease at which adult-oriented content can seep in to the internet, especially for children. http://gamesauthority.com/members/burmacrook18/activity/11416/ </p>
p>The streaming media's inter-generational appeal illustrates how streaming media challenges the traditional notions of "child-appropriate content."
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p>Adult concerns regarding "Squid Game"'s negative influence on children are based on earlier concerns about this "mashup" however, there are also concerns about children's interactions with the internet more generally.
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p>This article was published by The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. The original article is available here.
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p>Jessica Balanzategui is a senior lecturer in cinema and screen studies at Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn (Victoria, Australia) is Jessica Balanzategui. She is funded by the Australian Children's Television Foundation.
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