Notes

Senate Hearing on the Safety Of Children

The dystopian South Korean horror series "Squid Game" has become Netflix's most watched TV series however it is rapidly becoming as controversial as it is popular.



The recent controversy over "Squid Game" which has been evaluated as TV-MA-rated in the United States is related to the growing interest among young children. An Australian school warned that kids as young 6 years old are playing the same kinds of games as the hit show's gory and dark episodes. In Australia similar warnings were issued by teachers in Sydney and Western Australia.



In "Squid Game,"" characters compete for a cash prize by participating in challenges that augment classic Korean children's games, with "losers" being killed at the end of each round. Further emphasizing the show's twisted version of child's play these games are played in highly stylized arenas, such as an adult scale playground for children. After each game, these traditional children's play areas are filled with blood and covered in corpses. This show is a huge hit in children's digital culture.



A number of successful channels on YouTube Kids (designed specifically for viewers less than 12) have benefited from the "Squid Game" trend. This YouTube content includes How To Draw "Squid Game", character videos, and gameplay videos from Roblox that feature "Squid Game".



The Roblox game "Squid Game" which is a popular theme, has been extremely 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 aimed at children show children (often children) playing these "Squid Game" inspired games in Roblox and Minecraft, with the "Red Light, Green Light" challenge being a popular trend. This challenge is also trending on TikTok, with people emulating the game in a variety of real life settings as well as in videogames like Roblox and Minecraft.



The "Red Light, Green Light" scene has been deemed to be one of "Squid Game's" most shared moments: The giant animatronic doll that functions as a deadly motion sensor in the game has been extensively made into a meme. This doll is often included in thumbnails of YouTube videos of "Squid Game" as well as other related content for children.



The majority of these children's YouTube videos are quite innocuous by themselves. These videos show how "Squid Game," a digital content platform that is specifically designed for children, has managed to sneak into digital content. However the distinction between adult-oriented and child-oriented content on the internet were never clear.



YouTube has been the subject of many controversies over inappropriate content directed at children. TikTok has also faced controversy regarding the safety of children on the app as well as content that is not safe for children being watched by children like anti-vaccine video. TikTok allows access to its app to children who are older than 13, but reports suggest that children of a younger age are using it. Alongside YouTube, TikTok is currently facing a U.S. Senate hearing on children's safety.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2019 and introduced sweeping changes 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 targeted at children. Info Machine learning is used to identify videos with an identifiable target audience.



YouTube is still a very different platform than broadcast television. YouTube's content is popular for children, and it is different from television for children.



YouTube content for children that riffs on "Squid Game” characters and scenes continues a long-running trend of "mashups" content for children.



Similar to "Squid Game" content "mashups" videos incorporate popular themes, 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 in 2018 and 2019. In this case, a photo of a sinister figure that was tagged with the moniker "Momo" went viral online (the image was actually a Japanese sculpture).



An international news report was published about "Momo," claiming the creature was appearing in children's videos on YouTube and encouraging children to play deadly games and challenges.



As with "Squid Game", official warnings were sent out to parents about "Momo Challenge" informing them to be alert. It soon became apparent that the "Momo Challenge" was likely to be an internet-based hoax.



Momo represented parents' worst fears regarding the dangers children face through internet usage. Concerns about "Squid Game's" influence on children's lives have the same tenor The fears might not be a reaction to real dangers, but rather a expression of our discontent with how easily adult-oriented media can be incorporated into online content aimed at young children.



The unruly tentacles of "Squid Game's" inter-generational appeal show how streaming media challenges the existing conceptions of "child-appropriate" content.



Adult concerns about "Squid Game"'s malign influence on children are rooted in earlier concerns about this "mashup", but also about children's interactions with the internet more broadly.



This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. The original article here.



Jessica Balanzategui is a senior lecturer in screen and cinema studies at Swinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. She receives financial support from the Australian Children's Television Foundation.


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