Page 4 | Kids emulating Squid Game

ChuckGarabedian · 2021-10-13T21:37:18+00:00

For background, I saw this article earlier, and a few posts from other news outlets and local primary schools on my Facebook feed which were of a similar vein: [[https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/schools-issue-warning-over-children-21826216]] The bit about kids beating up eliminated players during playground games - has anyone actually heard of this happening in their local schools? It just seems a bit unbelievable that a significant enough number of young kids are being allowed to watch the show, so as to try and emulate the premise and trigger a national warning?! For the record I’ve just finished watching the whole series of SG on Netflix and think it’s a brilliant show, but too violent for primary schoolers IMO. * *[Message from MNHQ: there may be spoilers on this thread]*

PivotPivotPivottt · 19/10/2021 17:56

I'm quite laid back usually but I'm putting my foot down at squid game. My 10 year old keeps asking me to watch it and how its not fair because everyone in her class has watched it and is talking about it but there's absolutely no way I'm allowing her to watch it. She told me a couple of weeks ago there was children playing red light green light in the playground apparently the staff weren't happy about it and it was stopped. She says people in her class are dressing up as squid game characters for Halloween I'm expecting the playground to be full of pink suits this year.

Oswina · 19/10/2021 18:00

My DD is 5. She has never watched Squid Game, however she can emulate one of the games from it - Red Light, Green Light. She hasn't seen the real version where they get killed if they move on Red Light, but she knows that if you move on Red Light you get "eliminated".

She has never seen a single episode. It comes from her watching some Fortnite players on YouTube or Roblox gamers who emulate the games and your character dies if they lose.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 19/10/2021 18:06

I’m surprised so many children want to watch it.

Once the colourful violent bits are out of the way it’s a dark program about debt and people struggling. There’s far more of that that the violence. Amazed they stuck with it.

They’d be better off watching Final Destination.

Oswina · 19/10/2021 18:08

not sure what more it would have to show to get a 18 cert - swearing??? It’s so violent.

Most 18 rated shows have much more gore, sex scenes, rape etc, in much more detail.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 19/10/2021 18:10

And yet again, something which wouldn't be an issue if parents were responsible, is made an issue that schools are now expected to deal with 🤦🏻‍♀️

Legitimatesalvage · 19/10/2021 18:16

@LadyMonicaBaddingham

And yet again, something which wouldn't be an issue if parents were responsible, is made an issue that schools are now expected to deal with 🤦🏻‍♀️

Well, I tried to deal with it without putting pressure on the school. I went straight to the parents, I didnt name any names or anything. I just asked that if they'd watched it with their kids, could they have a chat.

That lead to them all telling their kids it was me, so it was my son who told on them and he walked into the lion's den today. Kids he called his friends stood in a circle around him, yelling at him until he started crying. So now he's upset and embarrassed that they saw him cry.

So sorry, but I had to pass it back to the school to sort out.

whistleryukon · 19/10/2021 18:51

A PP is right in saying that some children will be violent, fight and bully others regardless of tv shows they have watched. And vice versa.

My DC and some other children have been playing squid game at break. They played red light green light and then the ones pretending to be the guards 'shot' the losers. It's no different to them playing Star Wars or marvel, which also involves them pretending to shoot each other, or shoot lava at each other, or freeze each other in blocks of galactic ice. Or being pirates, or cowboys and Indians.

Meanwhile, the other football playing DC are all punching and kicking each other every break time due to rows over the scores.

There are quite a few superior parents in the class who claim that they would never allow their children to watch such a thing as squid game. Yet they allow their children seemingly free reign of YouTube and tiktok and thus these kids know of and have seen all of the goriest death clips and know the entire plot of the series. Quite how they think that this is any different, I don't know.

Giggorata · 19/10/2021 19:42

When my DC were young, they had their first exposure to Christianity at school.
They then went through a phase of taking it it turns to be “Jesus on the cross”, nailing imaginary nails into their hands.
Notwithstanding the religious connotation, it was very violent and I found it a bit alarming.
They got over it, though. Children process everything through play.

MeAndDebbieMcGee · 19/10/2021 20:13

There are lions now??! No wonder all the kids have guns.

Horst · 19/10/2021 20:17

My younger two haven’t seen the show but okay red light green light. That 1 year ago was called hot chocolate and before that something else. It’s always been a children’s game where you can move till the person turns around.

No letter from school here. Secondary aged child they don’t play those “baby” games that primary do so again no issues here and 90% of the children have likely watched clips at least via TikTok

Oswina · 19/10/2021 20:21

She said they were saying red light green light but then they started pretending to shoot and and actually fighting the people who lost. She said she got scared.

The headteacher called everyone who was playing into the hall and told them all off, said they were not to play it or talk about it, and said the parents would be spoken to

They are only pretending to shoot though? Kids have done that for years, ever since cowboys and Indians and star wars etc... We used to play a game at that age where two people would be the King and Queen and they would be evil and torture their subjects and lock the princess away in the dungeon, and we would have wars and uprisings and people would be fake executed and have their heads chopped off. pretending to shoot someone in the head doesn't seem so bad compared to that tbh.

ichundich · 19/10/2021 20:50

@whistleryukon

A PP is right in saying that some children will be violent, fight and bully others regardless of tv shows they have watched. And vice versa.

My DC and some other children have been playing squid game at break. They played red light green light and then the ones pretending to be the guards 'shot' the losers. It's no different to them playing Star Wars or marvel, which also involves them pretending to shoot each other, or shoot lava at each other, or freeze each other in blocks of galactic ice. Or being pirates, or cowboys and Indians.

Meanwhile, the other football playing DC are all punching and kicking each other every break time due to rows over the scores.

There are quite a few superior parents in the class who claim that they would never allow their children to watch such a thing as squid game. Yet they allow their children seemingly free reign of YouTube and tiktok and thus these kids know of and have seen all of the goriest death clips and know the entire plot of the series. Quite how they think that this is any different, I don't know.

Bit of a sweeping statement to claim that "parents don't let their kids watch Squid Game [on Netflix], yet give them 'free reign' of YouTube and TikTok", isn't it? I know that in our household adult content on Netflix is password protected and apps like YouTube and TikTok are blocked / not installed.

whistleryukon · 19/10/2021 21:11

@ichundich how can it be a sweeping statement when I am referring to specific families?

ichundich · 19/10/2021 22:03

[quote whistleryukon]@ichundich how can it be a sweeping statement when I am referring to specific families? [/quote]
Sorry, I misread. That's quite hypocritical indeed!

cinnabarmoth · 20/10/2021 13:26

No widespread adoption of the games from Squid Game at my daughter's school, or outbreaks of violence, however I would not be surprised if some parents were not even aware that their children had watched it, or simply don't care. I monitor what my DD9 accesses online very closely, but she has seen stuff at other children's houses when on playdates etc that I would not allow her to access, and I am certain the parents were simply unaware. She also uses my PlayStation account to access games and I have had (innocuous) messages from her classmates really late at night, implying that they have consoles with internet access in their rooms and no adult monitoring their usage.

When I did teacher training 20 years ago, I was shocked to hear from a group of Year 4 children that they had watched The Omen, Terminator and worst of all The Exorcist.

On the other hand, my daughter's school has more than once sent warnings to parents which I really think were reacting to something that wasn't actually a problem - conversely they weren't aware of the memes etc that were really doing the rounds (like the ones my DD saw on playdates). It's frustrating but these things move quickly and teachers can't be expected to keep up with it all, I suppose a temporary ban on some games while something is a bit of a craze is a compromise.

Opoiii · 20/10/2021 13:29

I don't understand how children having watched this show isn't a safeguarding concern.
That behaviour is concerning.

justchatting123 · 20/10/2021 14:16

I think a lot of people block 18s on Netflix and think the rest can't be that bad when some of its horrible

RonObvious · 20/10/2021 14:25

I find the focus on this particular show really weird - I'm sure that there must have been similar concerns about other mainstream series (Game of Thrones, Walking Dead etc), but I don't remember hearing anything about them. Squid Game is actually quite a "moral" show, so there's certainly worse that they could be watching. Having said that, I wouldn't let my two watch it (8 and 10), not that they would want to. However, if you spoke with them then you would be convinced that they had watched it, as they play the games on Roblox and information just seeps into the general consciousness (they knew about the spoiler mentioned further up the thread, for example). I bet the number of kids who are actually watching it is pretty low.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 20/10/2021 15:39

@RonObvious

I find the focus on this particular show really weird - I'm sure that there must have been similar concerns about other mainstream series (Game of Thrones, Walking Dead etc), but I don't remember hearing anything about them. Squid Game is actually quite a "moral" show, so there's certainly worse that they could be watching. Having said that, I wouldn't let my two watch it (8 and 10), not that they would want to. However, if you spoke with them then you would be convinced that they had watched it, as they play the games on Roblox and information just seeps into the general consciousness (they knew about the spoiler mentioned further up the thread, for example). I bet the number of kids who are actually watching it is pretty low.

Because those shows weren't extremely popular with young children and they didn't watch them. Squid game popularity level in primary kids it's on a par with fidget spinners, loom bands, JoJo bows etc in terms of craze. Yes it will pass , no it's not everyone, but until it does there is plenty of damage that can occur.