Squid Game

Dear Parents

I am writing to you about the Squid Game, which is a South Korean survival drama. This is currently being televised as a series on Netflix. There is currently a lot of ‘chatter’ about the Squid Game. I thought it important to write to you to provide some level of explanation.

The Squid Game draws a number of comparisons with modern older teenage dystopian fantasy’s such as The Hunger Games and The Maze. There are however a number of differences. Squid Game is not set in a dystopian fantasy world and the protagonists are not forced into participating, they volunteer. The Squid Game is not based on a book, as The Hunger Games and The Maze are, but is rather written straight for television.

Some of the younger children have begun playing the Squid Game, in which the players die and there is a winner. This in many ways is similar to games that children have been known to historically play such as ‘army’, ‘cops and robbers’, ‘cowboys and Indians’, etc. It is for many children a game where death in the game is similar to being ‘tagged’ and then they are out until there is a winner. It is unlikely that the younger children have viewed the Squid Game on Netlfix and are more likely to have come into contact with it through Roblox versions of the game or on social media.  It is important that you have a context of what games your children may be playing so that you can decide whether or not you want them to continue playing this game, either physically or on Roblox. Roblox is an online game platform and game creation system. It allows users to program games and play games created by other users.

The Squid Game has been produced for an adult audience. The Netflix show is designated Mature Audiences (though this may vary from country to country) and does include sex and violence- including torture. In essence it is about a group of people who volunteer to participate in the game to win money. The aim of the game is to be alive at the end at the expense of the other players. If you are a parent of a teenage student at BHS you may wish to consider whether you want your child, if they are watching this show, to continue watching it.

Regards

Sage Ball
Vice Principal Pastoral
Child Protection Officer