[New Wave] Squid Game and the Game Shutdown Policy

The Netflix drama "Ojingeo Game" (Squid Game), created by a Korean actor and director based on traditional childhood games that everyone has played at least once, has become the hottest content issue worldwide. According to a global OTT ranking aggregation site, it has maintained the number one spot on Netflix worldwide for 18 consecutive days. Among the 83 countries where rankings are compiled, it ranked first in 77 countries.

It’s not just the drama that is popular; the games, costumes, and props featured in Ojingeo Game are also leading trends. Korean traditional games have demonstrated the power to instantly capture the attention of people around the world. This is a perfect example of the "power of culture" in action these days.

Unlike the nostalgic theme that stimulates childhood innocence, the drama is rated for mature audiences due to vivid scenes where losers in the games are killed. In a way, this unexpected element was likely the key point that captivated global viewers. What if adults gathered in a world of innocence, played together amicably, shared money fairly, and parted on good terms with a happy ending? Although there would be no moral or ethical issues, no producer would have invested, believing that a strange game with unknown rules could capture the hearts of people worldwide.

As expected, concerns about Ojingeo Game began to be reported as it became a hit. Most of these concerns were about the emotional impact on teenagers and the possibility of imitative behavior from content accessed through various channels. In fact, these worries are something any parent raising children can empathize with. While no parent wants to show or tell their children anything but good things, parents of mid-teens will agree that in the world of online content, children often have more extensive knowledge and experience than their parents. Fortunately, there was no call for a Netflix shutdown system to protect teenagers. I suspect this is due to the learning effect from the youth game shutdown system implemented over the past decade.

In August, the youth game shutdown system was abolished by bipartisan agreement. This is fortunate both from the perspective of the content industry and youth education. The superficial reason was that preventing teenagers from accessing games late at night did not prevent game addiction or increase their sleep time. However, I believe there is a deeper reason. It signals a policy shift acknowledging the failure of youth content policies that had been conventionally pursued domestically and internationally.

Children do not imitate everything they see. Just because parents like the news does not mean children watch the news their parents watch. Just because parents do not play games does not mean children avoid games. There are things children want to imitate and things they do not. If parents can talk with their children about what they want to imitate or not and why, what could be more practical and desirable education than that? Whether teenagers have watched Ojingeo Game or not should not be the core of concern and worry. If, after several weeks of media and portals buzzing about Ojingeo Game, a child knows nothing about it or shows no interest, that should be a bigger concern.

The content landscape has long surpassed the level where outdated methods like shutdown systems can block and solve problems. Instead, we need to build a sturdy ship?a ship capable of navigating the vast ocean of content. Only then can content thrive and the future of teenagers change more positively. As a starting point, I look forward to a bold policy decision to proactively abolish the selective game shutdown system, which replaced the forced game shutdown system.

Lee Jang-joo, author of ‘How to Communicate with My Child in the Game Generation’ and Director of Irak Digital Culture Research Institute