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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Squid games

352 replies

Poppetts1234 · 02/10/2021 17:51

I know a mum that allows her 9 year old to watch this.

I’m really interested to see how many parents are ok with this?

AIBU to be a bit shocked about this?

Yes I should mind my own business but I’d be really interested to hear others opinions

OP posts:
GillBiggeloesHair · 03/10/2021 10:04

I loved Squid Game but it was far more gory and brutal than I was expecting.

CrackerGal · 03/10/2021 10:07

I won't let my 15 year old watch it after reading parents guide ~ I don't mind the violence for her, but the parents guide said there's a full 5 minute graphic sex scene & a scene where someone is forced to guide oral sex? So don't think this is appropriate at all!

CrackerGal · 03/10/2021 10:07

That was meant to read give

anon12345678901 · 03/10/2021 10:09

[quote whentheearthchanged]@Rollergirl11 this is where you are getting confused, it's not up to you to decide whether other people's parenting is acceptable. In YOUR opinion it's not, but you are not god and don't get to pass judgement. Unless you're perfect of course. [/quote]
This has a point but it's been rated a 15 with a warning on how graphic it is. It's not hard to see that it's pretty crap parenting to let your 9 year old watch it despite the warnings of it being unsuitable.

Sometimeswinning · 03/10/2021 10:12

Laughing at the idea that Squid Game is no worse than Minecraft Oh I must have my games confused. Which game do they beat animals to death with a mallet?

@Whinge you've got me confused. My ds10 isn't watching it. I think he could handle watching it from the first 3 episodes but I may change my mind. I certainly don't judge others for knowing their children and what they can watch. Id recommend dd11 doesn't watch it because she wouldn't like the creepy doll on red light, green light.

Rollergirl11 · 03/10/2021 10:22

@Sometimeswinning

. I doubt you’ll find anyone else on this thread (other than other fellow dim-wits who can’t carry out basic parenting) who agree with you.

The whole reason there is even a thread on here is because there are parents who, shockingly, disagree with your rather dim witted idea that you know how much violence your child is exposed to. My ds9 has just shown me 2 of the games from squid game are on roblox. He knows what it's about and the same for dd11. I don't think squid game (so far, I'm on episode 3) is any worse to many of the games they play.

So by your reasoning I should just let my DC watch whatever the hell they want because they might be seeing other violent stuff that I can’t control elsewhere? I’m bewildered how that logic makes sense to you.
Whinge · 03/10/2021 10:27

you've got me confused.

Ah yes apologies. You're the poster who compared the violence in Squid games to minecraft.

However, as somone who would allow their children to watch it, i'd still love an answer as to what happens when you decide it's too violent, sexual or horrific? If you give them permission to watch the first 3 episodes then he's already witnessed some pretty traumatic scenes. How do you prevent him from watching more, when you've already given him permission?

Sometimeswinning · 03/10/2021 10:28

So by your reasoning I should just let my DC watch whatever the hell they want because they might be seeing other violent stuff that I can’t control elsewhere? I’m bewildered how that logic makes sense to you.

No but if that's what you took from it then by all means continued to be bewildered.

Passmeamenuatthetottenham · 03/10/2021 10:29

@Sometimeswinning

Laughing at the idea that Squid Game is no worse than Minecraft Oh I must have my games confused. Which game do they beat animals to death with a mallet?

@Whinge you've got me confused. My ds10 isn't watching it. I think he could handle watching it from the first 3 episodes but I may change my mind. I certainly don't judge others for knowing their children and what they can watch. Id recommend dd11 doesn't watch it because she wouldn't like the creepy doll on red light, green light.

You think a game which is animated and pixellated to almost beyond recognition, is the same as a real life simulation of humans being brutally murdered? Seriously?

Where do you draw the line for 9 year old then? Hostel? Saw? I mean, they beat animals over the head in Minecraft so anything goes right?

Passmeamenuatthetottenham · 03/10/2021 10:30

No but if that's what you took from it then by all means continued to be bewildered.

To be fair thats what your post seemed to be implying. If you want to clarify then feel free to go ahead.

MissChanandlerBong81 · 03/10/2021 10:33

it’s about a bunch of people in dire financial straits who are invited to play games for money, if they survive to the end then they win the cash pot (the equivalent of £22 million). The games are all children's games like Red Light, Green Light and anyone who is "out" gets literally eliminated often quite graphically. I recommend watching it and I'm hoping for a second series.

I hadn’t heard of the show and when I read this I thought it was a description of a real game show rather than a fictional thriller and I was properly pearl clutching for a moment 😁

whentheearthchanged · 03/10/2021 10:44

@anon12345678901 it's up to the parent, no one else should pass judgement. End of.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/10/2021 10:48

[quote whentheearthchanged]@anon12345678901 it's up to the parent, no one else should pass judgement. End of. [/quote]
Where do you draw the line with that though? If everything was left up to all parents everywhere then we'd be leaving millions of kids in neglect.

LindaEllen · 03/10/2021 10:49

Not appropriate for children, it's bloody horrible. I'm 31 and didn't really want to be watching it!

LindaEllen · 03/10/2021 10:50

[quote whentheearthchanged]@anon12345678901 it's up to the parent, no one else should pass judgement. End of. [/quote]
Sorry but if a parent is happy for their 9yo child to watch a programme with graphic and cruel murders, then questions need to be asked. Turning a blind eye never ends well.

whentheearthchanged · 03/10/2021 10:56

@Waxonwaxoff0 you draw the line at abuse. Emotional, physical, sexual, neglect. Letting your child watch something that you as their parent believe they are mature enough to handle and have had a discussion with them about the content is not abuse. All children are different, and what may be okay for one 9 year old, is not for another. That's why it is up to the parent to decide. If the child is upset by the content then of course you would turn it off. It's fake though and my child is able to comprehend that and see it for what it is.

WowIlikereallyhateyou · 03/10/2021 10:58

FGS, why can’t people let their kids be kids. No children should be watching this full stop.

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 03/10/2021 10:59

I teach in an infant school and a 6 year old told me she had watched it. I had to log it as an indicator of neglect.

CornishGem1975 · 03/10/2021 11:01

My 14 year old watches it and that's borderline for me but I know him, and he's not easily affected by stuff like this. There would be other 14 year olds and even older children that I would think were too young for this, so no,not being unseasonable at all.

DumplingsAndStew · 03/10/2021 11:02

Perhaps it's more accurate to think of Squid Game more in terms of people not being killed, but people being executed.

Would you allow your child to watch a video clip of an ISIS execution? A hanging? A decapitation?

PTSD from being in war zones is a massive, massive problem, and this is the sort of things they are witnessing. Grown adults with life experience, with a fully formed brain see these things and it fucks them up.

To show these types of images (and by allowing your child to watch them, you are showing them) is most definitely shit parenting. It's neglectful and abusive. If showing a child pornography is classed as abuse, showing them scenes of graphic violence is also abuse.

Whinge · 03/10/2021 11:04

You draw the line at abuse. Emotional, physical, sexual, neglect.

Being exposed to unsuitable content is listed under emotional abuse on the NSPCC website

exposing a child to upsetting events or situations, like domestic abuse or drug taking

If the child is upset by the content then of course you would turn it off.

Just because a child isn't showing any visible signs of distress doesn't mean they're fine watching traumatic content.

whentheearthchanged · 03/10/2021 11:06

@Whinge a child witnessing domestic abuse or drug taking in real time is a hell of a lot different than them watching content that they know to be fake on tv.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 03/10/2021 11:09

[quote whentheearthchanged]@anon12345678901 it's up to the parent, no one else should pass judgement. End of. [/quote]
The issue is not all parents or children are created equal.

Some parents allow it because they don't have the time or interest to know what it's about.

Some parents allow it because they think their kid can cope with the violence for example. However, there's more than that to it and their kids might be affected by other things.

Some parents allow it because they want to have a viewing buddy and are delighted to have such a mature child, regardless if the kid really is or isn't.

Some parents simply have no idea what their kid is watching.

I know that some kids are perfectly able to watch it. However, for every parent that insists is fine and their kid is actually ok, I guarantee you there are many more where the kid isn't actually fine.

noprofessional · 03/10/2021 11:13

I find it so sad to hear people expose their kids to stuff like this. I just don't understand the thought process and total lack of care.

DumplingsAndStew · 03/10/2021 11:13

If the child is upset by the content then of course you would turn it off.

You don't think it's too late by this point?

That's like saying "My child doesn't have to wear a seat belt. If they had a serious injury from being in a motor accident, then we'd make them wear a seat belt going forward." Or even "I've told my 13yo to just have sex with someone. If they don't like it, they don't have to do it again".