Following the discovery that young children were viewing inappropriate scenes on TikTok or mobile gaming apps, one school asked parents to not allow their children to watch Squid Game.
Netflix’s series features debt-ridden contestants who take on survival challenges in exchange for huge cash prizes.
South Korean television show is inspired by traditional playground games, but it has a dark twist that sees contestants being shot if they don’t complete any of the challenges.
Parents and schools have expressed concern that younger children are watching certificate 15’s show.
Alison Allford from Ivanhoe College Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Leicestershire), is worried about the children at Ivanhoe College.
This college is open to children between the ages of 11 and 14 years.
Head teachers at schools have warned parents against their children watching the highly violent South Korean TV series Squid Game.
Alison Allford, head teacher of Ivanhoe College in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, said some pupils have been downloading apps which feature games from the hit show
It has been streamed by Netflix and is now one of their most-watched shows.
K-Game, an app that recreates violent scenes from TV shows has been discouraged by students.
Nub News received a statement from a spokesperson for the school saying that ‘Squid Game’s popularity has spread to various online platforms.
“There’s been an explosion of material created that shows the violence of Squid Game. This is why it is so important for teachers, parents, caregivers, and parents to fully understand Squid Game as well as the risks it poses to the young people they might expose to.
“There have been cases where young children viewing explicit or gory footage on social media platforms have been reported. Parents and caregivers need to be alert for this.
The app is available for Android and iOS.
The iTunes Store rates this app 12+. This is despite warnings of “mild/infrequent terror/fear themes” and the Android PEGI rating being just 3+. It means very young children may be able download the game to their Android devices even with parental controls enabled or via Google Play.
Ivanhoe College warned parents regarding the risks posed online by sites connected to Netflix’s hit TV series, Squid Game
Alison Allford from Ivanhoe College Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Leicestershire), is worried about her students. She advised parents to keep a close watch on them.
“Pop-ups or ads frequently interrupt gameplay (sometimes while users are tapping rapidly to finish the challenge).
This could lead to accidental purchases, or visits to inconvenient sites outside the app.
“As parents or caregivers, be vigilant about what your children see.
“Speak with them and let’s talk about their time using technology. Let them also ask questions.
“Ensure parental controls are enabled on your child’s device, and age-restricted profiles for child are correctly set up to access any streaming services through the family television (e.g. Netflix). This will prevent the stream of inappropriate content.
Ivanhoe College is home to 953 students aged between 11 and 14 years old. It was awarded a ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted inspectors 2018.