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Senate Hearing on Children's Safety.S

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



The recent controversy surrounding "Squid Game" which has been rated TV-MA in the United States is related to the increasing interest of young children. This includes warnings from an Australian school that children as young as 6 are creating games from the gory and dark show. Similar warnings were issued in Australia by educators from Sydney and Western Australia.



In "Squid Game," characters are competing for cash prizes by participating in challenges that are akin to classic Korean children's games and culminates with the "losers" being killed at the end of each round. These games, which emphasise the show's bizarre take on children's play, are played in highly stylized arenas, such as an adult-sized playground. After each challenge, these traditional children's play areas are left soaked in blood and littered with piles of corpses. The show is definitely popular among children's online cultures.



YouTube Kids has many successful channels that capitalize on the "Squid Game" trend. These channels are designed for viewers younger than 12. The content on YouTube includes How to Draw "Squid Game", character videos and gameplay videos featuring "Squid Game" and "Squid Game" both from Roblox.



"Squid Game" is now a common theme in these user programmed Roblox games. 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 a trend on TikTok, with people emulating the game in a range of real-life settings as well as in videogames like Roblox and Minecraft.



The "Red Light, Green Light" scene has become one of "Squid Game's" most widely shared moments: The gigantic animatronic doll that acts as a dangerous motion sensor in the game has been heavily popularized. The doll is often featured in thumbnails on YouTube videos for "Squid Game", related children's content.



These YouTube videos featuring children are hardly awe-inspiring. However, they show how "Squid Game" has gotten into digital content explicitly targeting young children. However, the distinction between adult-oriented and child-oriented content online were always blurred.



YouTube has been the focus of many controversies over inappropriate content targeted towards children. TikTok is also affected by similar concerns regarding children's security and inappropriate content seen by children. TikTok gives full access to its app to children older than 13, but reports show children much younger are using it: Alongside YouTube, TikTok is currently facing a U.S. Senate hearing on kids' safety.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2019 and introduced sweeping changes to make the distinction between children's and adult content easier to spot on the platform. Steve larese For instance, creators must now be able to inform YouTube whether their content is for children, and machine-learning is used to identify videos that specifically target young viewers.



YouTube is a different platform from broadcast television. YouTube's content is extremely popular with children , and is often different from children's TV.



Children's YouTube content that is a riff on "Squid Game" characters and scenes continue a long-running trend of "mashup" content for children on the platform.



Similar to "Squid Game" content, "mashup" videos harness popular themes, search terms and characters of all kinds, often featuring famous characters in thumbnails and video titles.



The rising global panic about children's participation in "Squid Game" challenges is similar to the "Momo" phenomenon in 2018 and 2019. In this case, a photo of a sinister character that became associated with 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 being featured in children's content on YouTube and encouraging children to take part in dangerous games and challenges.



Similar to what is happening in the context of "Squid Game," official warnings were sent to parents regarding the "Momo Challenge," advising them to be on guard. It was quickly discovered that the "Momo Challenge", the viral hoax, was likely an elaborate ruse.



Momo was a symbol of the worst fears parents have about children's internet use. The concern about "Squid Game"'s influence on children has a similar tenor. These fears may not be a response to actual dangers, but a sign of our displeasure at the ease that adult-oriented media can seep in to websites that are geared towards children.



The appeal of streaming media for all ages illustrates how streaming media is challenging traditional notions of "child-appropriate content."



Adult fears concerning "Squid Game's" negative influence on children stem from earlier concerns about this "mashup" content but also concern children's interactions with the internet more generally.



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



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


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