Nov 10, 2021 4 min read

School districts across the country are warning that children are acting out games from the Netflix drama series, “Squid Game.”

Locally, Canon-McMillan School District recently notified parents at Borland Manor Elementary School that during outdoor recess, students were discussing and playing games similar to those played on “Squid Game,” which features adults competing in children’s games such as Red Light, Green Light, and the losers are killed.

The series, which has become Netflix’s most-watched show, is rated appropriate for viewers aged 15 and older, and has content warnings including violence, sex and suicide.

The email, which included a clip of the show, warns parents that children can access the series or portions of the show on Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Roblox.

The email reads, in part, “Students are organizing groups and trying to play the games at recess … Please have a conversation with your child about this show and its content being inappropriate for school. Please let them know that they are not to talk about the games or play the games with rules from the show at school.”

Canon-McMillan guidance counselor Jennifer Ford said she is surprised at the number of elementary school students telling her they have watched “Squid Game.”

“In this day and age, where kids are much more savvy and technology is literally at their fingertips, they are finding new ways to access things that we may otherwise as parents try to shield them from,” said Ford. “Apps like TikTok and games like Roblox are things that many of my elementary students talk about having regular, relatively unrestricted access to, and these are places where violent content, like scenes from the television show, ‘Squid Game,’ are cropping up.”

One Borland Manor parent, Jamie Renschler, said she grew concerned when her 9-year-old son came home from school recently and asked her what “Squid Game” was.

“My jaw almost hit the floor, said Renschler. “I asked how he knew about it, and he said kids were talking about it and playing the Squid Game at recess.”

Renschler said the games, including tug of war, marbles, and Red Light Green Light, aren’t the issue.

“I’m more concerned about are they actually watching this show? The violence is unbelievable, and I don’t believe anybody elementary age needs to watch it. Kids do mimic what they see,” she said.

The district said students who continue to play will be subject to disciplinary action because the show and its games “do not align with our school community values.”

The school district is sending out similar notices to parents at the district’s other elementary schools.

Ford said parents are the gatekeepers when it comes to the content their children are exposed to – whether it’s video games, movies or television shows – and she advises parents to encourage their kids to share with them what they are watching online, and to encourage their children to approach them if they watch something that might be scary or make them feel uncomfortable.

“Keeping open lines of communication about their technology usage, as well as a watchful eye when they are on apps such as these, will help you to have a better handle on what they are being exposed to,” said Ford.

Parents can check settings on their televisions and devices to see if children are accessing and viewing series like “Squid Games” without adults’ knowledge.

Ford said much research has been conducted about young kids and their exposure to violence through video games, TV and movies.

“We as adults know these situations are fictional, but children have a harder time separating pretend from reality, and violent images can be confusing to them, especially when things look as realistic as they do in this day and age,” said Ford. “Children may try to act out what they are seeing, and in a way, they become desensitized to the violence they are viewing.”

The desensitization, she said, could be due to increased exposure that children encounter today, and because of more time they spend in front of screens.

“Try to encourage your kids to ditch the screen in the evenings, and limit time on the weekends,” Ford suggested. “Put an emphasis on real life experiences and face-to-face conversations. The less time kids spend in front of screens, the more they will begin to realize the world around them and how it works, without the lens of Hollywood.”