REVIEW: ‘Squid Game’ is not suitable for teens
Assistant Online Editor Sahana Sivarajan advises teenagers against watching Netflix’s South Korean fictional show “Squid Game” due to the graphic violence it showcases.
December 15, 2021
Squid Game, a gory television show that recently became a worldwide phenomenon, is doing everything bad to teens minds.
This Netflix show is a South Korean fictional drama with world-wide popularity. All four hundred fifty six characters, who are deeply in debt, are sequestered on a remote island where they play children’s games to win 45.6 billion won, the South Korean currency (which is the equivalent of approximately 38 million dollars).
Squid Game was released on Sept. 17 but it is still very popular, mostly among teenagers. The series consists of nine episodes, which include different games, and its launch was one of the biggest for Netflix.
There are six games that the contestants play—all equally deadly and violent. In my opinion, this is not at all a show for teens because it doesn’t shy away from horrific violence and the characters are being systematically tortured for the sadistic pleasure of a game master.
When teens first watch this show, they may be thrown back by the sheer amount of violence, but as they continue to watch it for the thrill or peer pressure, they slowly get desensitized to it. There are also some unnecessary gruesome scenes and sexual threats that are made on women who are treated poorly. These send wrong messages to young viewers.
Further, this series shows the lengths to which a person might go to win money which is not a great theme to share with the future generation. Teenagers should understand that there is so much more to life than wealth and it should be earned in the proper way, not by playing games or gambling. It’s nice to have money; however, it is not everything in life. Still, it wouldn’t be fair to ignore that these characters are in massive amounts of debt with little to no hope.
This television show spread globally, and the creators seem to have made it so violent to combat the bleak, gory and desolate state of life. Young, impressionable children are drawn to addictive thrillers which is exactly what this show is bestowing. However, I think a big portion of our generation watches it due to peer pressure. As friends tell each other about the show, some feel pressured to watch it as it will allow them to easily relate to their friends.
All in all, Squid Game highlights negative values and instills wrong morals in young minds. I strongly urge children and teens to avoid watching it.
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