"Teacher, I Have Scary Thoughts"... Children Exposed Directly to the Bloody 'Ojingeo Game'

'Squid Game' Videos Shared on TikTok and YouTube... No Way to Block Viewing
Students Encounter Content Among School and Academy Peers, Parents Concerned
Experts: "Need to Create Environment to Prevent Excessive Media Exposure"

The Netflix original series 'Squid Game,' which has recently gained huge popularity worldwide / Photo by Netflix

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] As the Netflix original series 'Ojingeo Game' (Squid Game) gains popularity, it has been revealed that not only teenagers but even kindergarteners are being exposed to this drama, which is rated for viewers aged 19 and above, without any protection.

On the 26th, an internet user posted a message titled "The really scary aspect related to Ojingeo Game" on an online community, sharing experiences from education workers regarding young children and teenagers watching 'Ojingeo Game.'

An internet user, who appears to be a teacher at an academy attended by elementary school students, said, "What was really scary today was that during a 5th-grade class, the kids only talked about 'Ojingeo Game.' I was shocked and tried to persuade them not to watch it, but in the next class with 2nd graders, they only talked about it again." They added, "When I asked where they were watching it, they said it was uploaded on TikTok. Don't adults realize what's going on?"

Another internet user working in childcare also revealed, "How serious this situation is... A six-year-old child said, 'Teacher, I suddenly had a scary thought. I said , but if you move, they shoot and kill people.' I was really shocked."

Related video content that appears when searching for the keyword 'Ojingeo Game' on Chinese video app TikTok and YouTube. / Photo by TikTok, YouTube captures

Videos of 'Ojingeo Game' are being uploaded on Chinese video apps TikTok and YouTube, and despite age restrictions, children are watching them without much limitation.

In particular, it has been revealed that many users in China, where Netflix has not yet entered, are uploading and sharing 'Ojingeo Game' videos on TikTok. In fact, if you search for 'Ojingeo Game' on video platforms like TikTok and YouTube, you can easily watch some scenes without logging in.

As a result, there have been continuous calls for restrictions to prevent children from being exposed to highly violent media. A member A of a mom caf? in Seoul said, "My first-grade elementary school child keeps receiving inappropriate negative influences while playing with friends at school and academy. Not only Ojingeo Game but also Penthouse and Show Me The Money?my child is exposed to all kinds of provocative broadcasts." She added, "I hope there will be special management to enforce viewing age restrictions."

Other reactions included, "It makes human life feel too trivial," "We really need to be careful. Uploading and exposing videos indiscriminately in content that children can watch should be avoided," and "Kids these days access media so quickly. It must be bad for their emotional development."

According to a survey conducted by Visang Education in August among 666 parents through the elementary school parent education information community 'Mom & Talk,' 45.5% of respondents said their children use YouTube 'daily.' Regarding concerns about their children's YouTube use, 41.7% cited 'YouTube addiction' as the biggest worry, followed by 27.9% who were concerned about 'exposure to violent and provocative content.'

Experts have suggested creating an environment where children are not excessively exposed to media.

Professor Lee Jaeguk of the Department of Media Communication at Sungkyunkwan University emphasized, "Monitoring should be more thorough at the level of video platforms like YouTube to filter out harmful videos," and added, "The Korea Communications Commission should strengthen regulations to cover borderline violent videos like those of Ojingeo Game."

However, he noted, "It is realistically difficult for platforms to regulate 100% of video content," and suggested, "For now, the best approach is to reduce children's excessive exposure to media through electronic devices like tablets and smartphones, and for parents to more firmly correct their children's viewing habits."