Would you let your 13 year old watch Squid Game?

[GrootGroot]

Teen DS is dying to watch Squid Game. DH is all for it. I’m unsure as it’s v.violent. What do you think?

No

No. It is not appropriate for a 13 year old.

The people on this thread who have allowed their children to watch it are lazy parents who just indulge their children and cannot be bothered to send them to bed when there's grown up telly on.

I'd be really quite disturbed by any 13 year old who could sit through squid games without feeling shocked or upset.

For an ordinary 13 year old absolutely not. I was into horrors when I was young, and was allowed to watch them, but squid game is a psychological thriller type of series worse than just something all out gore/slasher. The kind that can mess with you weeks after watching as an adult when a scene pop into your head or you start to unravel the ideas and concepts after the fact IYSWIM. So it’d be a no for my children. I do in fact love it myself once the kids are in bed, but it’s not appropriate for a 13 year old- especially a newly turned 13 year old.

Absolutely not

No

Yes I have but I disagree with you. In the main it's a peaceful affair, a battle of wits if you will. The only blood and violence I remember is when they pitched a giant squid against a colossal squid in 1993 and all hell broke loose. I believe it's become better regulated now, and calamari is firmly off the menu.

I think you need to decide yourself? You know your child, so can more or less predict if it will be ok for them. I personally found it a bit too disturbing and graphic at times, and I like horror films.

There is also a sex scene in one of the first episodes, if I remember right.

I let my 14yo watch the first series a few months ago. As noted by others, IMO the psychological drama is more disturbing than the violence. There was one episode where she cried, and this was the marbles episode where all of the deaths are off screen and it's more about the relationships. Yes, she found that heart - rending, but to imply that every 14yo will be scarred for life is a bit hyperbolic.

We watched the first episode of the second season last night, they haven’t got to the games yet so was fine. DS and I both hid behind a cushion when it came to a game of Russian Roulette so he didn’t actually see anything lol. Going to keep going but if I feel like it’s too much we will stop watching (with DS)

The new series is a 15, so I suppose I would say yes. I watched much worse at 13

I take it you have seen season 1 first?

No! We didn’t and 14 old won’t be watching it either.
It’s horrificly violent, and anyone saying different needs to give their head a wobble. The violence is ‘creative’ and sadistic.
And even though Inwatched it there were several scenes I just found too much and stuck with me long after.
I was surprised it was 15 and not 18 but the reason I suppose is because there’s no swearing and little sexual stuff. Other than the delightful scene of necrophilia of course.
Censors are happy for extreme violence to be there ‘in context’ but baulk at even consensual
sex and heaven forbid there should be more than a handful of ‘fucks’ in the dialogue.

So NO! Judge for yourself but that 1st series was deffo a 18 for me. I know many MANY parents who didn’t let their children watch it, so despite what your kid says ‘everyone’ hasn’t seen it but them. They’ve heard about it or seen stills or certain notorious scenes but they have t all watched it.

DH and I have watched the first season, DS hasn’t seen any episodes apart from the first one last night (of the second season)

It is a 15 so for me I would look at the child once 13

I’m surprised you even have to ask them, if you have watched the first series.

@cosycore the first series has quite a detailed plot about poverty, desperation, and immigration from North Korea amongst other things. For me this where the drama is rooted, rather than in the mechanics and outcomes of the games. IMO you'd lose a lot if you hadn't seen the first.

And we wonder why children are becoming desensitised to violence.
As we seem to be heading for WW3 perhaps that’s not a bad thing…

Not a chance in hell. I like it but it's unbelievably violent.

No chance.

Kids these days get exposed to all kinds of physical violence and gore.

The sadism and psychology of it could really mess some kids up though.

I would say 14 minimum. When season one was released, I was horrified that a woman I worked with was letting her 9 year old daughter watch it with her. Apparently all her friends were watching it too!

Absolutely not. It was so bloody and violent I gave up on it.

My eldest watched the first season at just turned 14. We binged series 2 yesterday and youngest who is 13 watched a few of the episodes, but she is very emotionally mature and likes horror (as did I at her age) and is sensible enough to walk away if it is too much for her.

It is violent but is quite OTT, almost comic book in places - especially the second series.

For me the psychological horror is worse but I don't think a 13 year old would understand those aspects of it (desperation of poverty, greed, rich using the poor for entertainment, temptation).

I think it depends on the child and their maturity to be honest- there is no one size fits all.

All this nonsense about: "You know your child". How on earth do you know that they will be long-term unaffected by watching sex and violence aged 13?

You might be an expert on your own child, but you're not a child expert. The ratings are there for a reason.

Way back in the dark ages of the internet we had access to AOL chat rooms and Rotten.com unsupervised. A horror film is nothing.

Erm aye. That was kind of my point to OP. But if DS wants to dive in at season 2 then ??