Notes

Senate Hearing on the Safety of Children

The South Korean horror series "Squid Game", which is set in a dystopian future, is the most watched TV show on Netflix. However it is rapidly becoming controversial.



The recent controversy over "Squid Game," which has been rated TV-MA in the United States is related to the increasing interest of young children. A school in the Australian school warned that kids who are as young as 6 years old are creating the same kinds of games as the hit show's dark and gory episodes. Similar warnings were issued in Australia by teachers from Sydney and Western Australia.



The "Squid Game" features characters competing for cash prizes by engaging in games that are a variation on classic Korean children's games. The "losers," however, are killed at the end of every round. These games, which emphasise the show's unique take on children's play, are played in highly stylized arenas such as an adult-sized playground. https://bitrix.la/ After each challenge the traditional play areas are covered in blood and covered in corpses. This show is a huge hit in the world of digital children.



A number of channels that have been successful on YouTube Kids (designed specifically for viewers younger than 12) have capitalized on the "Squid Game" trend. This YouTube content includes How to Draw "Squid Game" character videos, and "Squid Game" themed gameplay videos from Roblox, an online video game Roblox.



"Squid Game" is now a common theme in these user-programmed Roblox games. Many Roblox videos featuring "Squid Game", have hundreds of thousands or even millions of views.



On both the kids' and main version of YouTube videos 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 and users are playing the game in a vast variety of real-life settings and videogames Roblox and Minecraft.



"Squid Game"'s most popular moment is "Red Light, Green Light". The giant animatronic doll that acts like a motion sensor in this game has been extensively memeified. This doll is often featured in thumbnails of YouTube videos of "Squid Game" and other related content for children.



The majority of these children's YouTube videos are pretty harmless by themselves. These videos demonstrate how "Squid Game," a digital content platform specifically targeting young children has managed to sneak into digital content. However, the lines between child-oriented and adult-oriented content online were always blurred.



YouTube has been at the center of a variety of controversy about inappropriate content directed at children. TikTok has also faced controversy regarding the safety of children on the app and problematic content being viewed by children including anti-vaccine videos. TikTok gives full access to the app for youngsters older than 13 but there are reports that show that children younger are using it: Like YouTube, TikTok is currently facing an U.S. Senate hearing on kids' safety.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2019, sweeping changes were introduced to make the distinction between children's and adult content clearer on the platform. YouTube now requires creators to notify YouTube that their content is targeted at children. Machine-learning is utilized to identify videos that have a clear target audience.



Despite these modifications, YouTube remains a very different beast from broadcast television, and content that is popular with children on both the main and children's versions of the platform can differ substantially from the TV that kids watch.



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



Similar to "Squid Game" content "mashups" videos make use of popular themes or search terms and characters, often featuring famous characters in thumbnail images 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. A photo of a spooky-looking figure became viral online. The photo was actually a Japanese sculpture.



A world-wide news report was published about "Momo," claiming the creature was appearing in children's content on YouTube and urging children to participate in deadly games and challenges.



As with "Squid Game", official warnings were sent out to parents about "Momo Challenge,"" reminding them to stay vigilant. It was quickly discovered that the "Momo Challenge", an internet-wide hoax, was probably a hoax.



Momo represented parents' worst fears regarding the dangers children face through internet usage. The concern about "Squid Game"'s influence on children is of a similar character. These fears may not be a response to actual dangers but a sign of our displeasure at the ease at which adult-oriented content can be incorporated into websites that are geared towards young children.



The appeal of streaming media for all ages shows how streaming media challenge traditional notions of "child-appropriate content."



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



This article was republished by 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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