Notes

Like Squid Game Content

"Squid Game," a dystopian South Korean horror series, has been the most-watched TV series on Netflix. However it is rapidly becoming controversial.



The latest controversy to surface in relation to "Squid Game," which is rated TV-MA in United States, relates to the excitement it has created amongst young children. This includes warnings from an Australian school that children as younger than 6 are playing games from the gory and dark show. Similar warnings were issued in Australia by teachers from Sydney and Western Australia.



In "Squid Game," characters compete for cash prizes through challenges that augment the classic Korean games for children, with the "losers" being killed at the end of each round. These games, which emphasize the show's bizarre approach to children's play, are played in highly stylized arenas, such as a large-sized playground for children. These traditional play areas for children are often with blood and littered by corpses after every challenge. The show is definitely a craze within children's digital worldviews.



YouTube Kids has a variety of successful channels that benefit from the "Squid Game" trend. These channels are for viewers who are younger than 12. The YouTube content includes How to Draw "Squid Game" character videos, and "Squid Game" themed gameplay videos from Roblox, an online video game Roblox.



The Roblox game "Squid Game", which is a popular theme, has become extremely popular. 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 showcase 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 range of real-life settings and in videogames Roblox and Minecraft.



The "Red Light, Green Light" scene has been named one of "Squid Game's" most shared moments: The giant animatronic doll that acts as a deadly motion sensor in the game has been heavily meme-ified. The doll is often featured in thumbnails on YouTube videos of "Squid Game" as well as other related content for children.



These YouTube videos of children are surprisingly innocent. However, they show how "Squid Game" has been incorporated into digital content explicitly targeting young children. However the lines between child-oriented and adult-oriented content online were never clear.



YouTube has been the focus of numerous controversies regarding inappropriate content directed at children. TikTok has been a target of similar controversy related to children's safety on the app, as well as problematic content that children are watching, such as anti-vaccine videos. TikTok allows children over 13 years old to have full access to the app, however, reports suggest that children younger than 13 are using it. A U.S. Senate hearing is currently taking place on the safety of TikTok for children. Federal Trade Commission in 2019, sweeping changes were introduced to make the distinction between adult and children's content easier to spot on the platform. YouTube now requires creators to inform YouTube that their content is designed for children. Machine-learning is used to identify videos with an identifiable target audience.



Despite these changes, YouTube remains a very different beast from broadcast television. The content that is popular with children on both the main and children's version of the platform may differ markedly from kids' TV.



Children's YouTube content that riffs off "Squid Game" characters and scenes continues a longstanding trend of "mashup" content for children on the platform.



Similar to "Squid Game" content "mashups" videos incorporate popular themes, search terms, and characters, often featuring famous characters in thumbnail imagery or video titles.



The "Momo” phenomenon of 2018 and 2019 mirrors the growing worldwide fear of children participating in "Squid Game" challenges. A picture of a spooky-looking figure went viral on the internet. The photo was actually an authentic Japanese sculpture.



International news media reported on "Momo," which claimed that the creature appeared in videos for children on YouTube, encouraging youngsters to participate in dangerous games and challenges.



Like "Squid Game", official warnings were sent to parents regarding "Momo Challenge" and advised them to be vigilant. It soon became clear the "Momo Challenge" was likely to be an internet-based hoax.



Momo was an emblem of parents' most feared fears about children's internet use. The concern about "Squid Game"'s influence on children has a similar tenor. These fears might not be a reaction to actual dangers, but an expression of our displeasure with the ease with which adult-oriented media can seep in to websites that are geared towards children.



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



Adult concerns about "Squid Game"'s harmful influence on children are based on earlier concerns about this "mashup" however, there are also concerns about children's interactions with the internet more broadly.



This article was republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. The original article here.



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


Read More: https://1so.in/