WARNING: Don’t Let Your Kids Watch Squid Game. Here’s Why.
Chances are, by now you’ve heard all about Squid Game or perhaps you’ve even watched the series on Netflix.
I mean, you are not alone. After all, it is officially the #1 Netflix Series of all time (yup – it beat Bridgerton).
But if you haven’t seen it and have caught yourself wondering if you should allow your kids to watch it (or perhaps they’ve asked). STOP. NO just NO. Your kids should not be watching Squid Game.
Look, I am not here to tell you how to parent. I am just here to give you all the facts and then you can decide what is best for you and your family.
Last week my oldest son (he is 11 years old) came to me talking all about Squid Game and I was shocked because at that point I hadn’t even watched it myself nor had I given him permission to watch it.
I asked if he had seen it and he said no, but he had friends that did and he already knew all about the show and many of the gruesome details.
Sheesh – so much for keeping him away from that show, right?
While other kids may be allowed to watch it or perhaps sneak watching it over a friends house, it’s important to understand why your kids shouldn’t watch it and what experts have to say about it.
Why Your Kid Should Not Be Watching ‘Squid Game’
For starters, Squid Game has been given a TV-MA rating, which means “this program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This program may contain one or more of the following: crude indecent language, explicit sexual activity, or graphic violence. And yes, Squid Game has it all.
Secondly, experts such as those associated with Psychology Today and Common Sense Media express that parents need to understand just how violent and graphic this series is and the harm it can cause on kids.
Common Sense Media states:
Parents need to know that the level of violence is very intense in Squid Game. Characters are systematically tortured and killed for the sadistic pleasure of a game master. Adults have sex, and there are threats of sexual violence: Women are grabbed by the hair and beaten. Themes concerning the highs one gets from gambling, winning, or conning money are a main focus.
And kids seeing those things can cause nightmares, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and other problems.
In fact, Laura Linn Knight, a parenting educator and former elementary school teacher, told TODAY Parents, that our brains are not fully developed until age 25 and allowing graphic violence, such as that shown in the Netflix series, can feel overwhelming.
“Many parents think, ‘My child can understand and differentiate between reality and fiction,'” Knight said. “But children cannot differentiate as much as we think. So when we’re sending in these images and expecting them to do what an adult can do, it’s unrealistic for them.”
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Not to mention, I might add, kids these days tend to love to make stupid challenges on social media. Who’s to say this show wouldn’t give them some horrific ideas?
The bottom line is – it is certainly not suitable for younger children who may not understand the difference between reality and fiction.
As for older teens or kids, the choice is up to you but having that conversation with your kids about the graphic nature of the show prior to giving them permission to watch, could make a huge difference.
