“Squid Game” on Netflix is bursting with scenes of violence. Many children also have access to the series. Experts sound the alarm.
Frankfurt – For the streaming platform Netflix it is the most successful series of all time: “Squid Game” offers a series of brutal, bloody scenes – but experts warn against the broadcast. Apparently, many younger children in Germany are also watching. What do the brutal scenes of violence do with ten or even six year olds?
In Pinneberg near Hamburg it was said from a daycare center that even five to six year old children played the series. The macabre competition has also become a role model in school playgrounds, as teachers warned. Experts plead for the FSK age rating from 16 years to be strictly observed. The many scenes of violence represented a very high psychological burden for children, as they were not yet able to process what they saw, said psychotherapist Katajun Lindenberg from the Goethe University in Frankfurt to the dpa news agency.
Most successful Netflix series: “Squid Game”, according to experts, dangerous for children
There is also the risk that, in the sense of model-learning, the willingness to use violence will increase in children if they are given such an example of violence, explained the head of the department for child and adolescent psychotherapy. The social criticism of “Squid Game” could not yet grasp children.
“From an aesthetic point of view and with a lot of inner distance, the series can be understood as innovative and perhaps even arousing,” said media educator Maya Götz from the International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television at Bayerischer Rundfunk. But this requires a high degree of demarcation and media knowledge, which children in particular do not have.
Kita and school managers have already made parents aware of the dangers of the series for children in many places. Lindenberg and Götz also emphasize that parents should not allow their children to watch the series. The release from the age of 16 by the Voluntary Self-Control of the Film Industry (FSK) is there for good reason. “Many experts have thought about this. This is not an arbitrary classification, ”emphasized Lindenberg.
“Squid Game” on Netflix without the protection of minors
The South Korean series “Squid Game” is the most successful Netflix production to date with the highest number of viewers. The story of almost 500 people who got into debt is told in nine episodes. They compete against each other in children’s games in order to win prize money in the millions. The macabre competition does not allow a second chance: Those who do not make it to the next round will be killed.
Parents should make it clear to their children that “being strong” means not watching the series or not watching the series, said media educator Götz. Without voluntary renunciation, it is often difficult to prevent children who are a little older from seeing the series or parts of it in digital space.
For example, there is no youth protection function for FSK-16 approvals on Netflix, explained Götz. In addition, “Squid Game” is already widespread: The games from the series are also re-enacted in video games such as “Minecraft” – and there are numerous so-called memes on Instagram or the Chinese-controlled platform Tiktok in which the series is taken up. Children could also watch the series with friends or siblings.
Expert on Netflix series: “Squid Game” can be a traumatic experience
It is important to talk about what you have seen if necessary in order to help with processing, said Götz. Especially for children up to ten years of age, watching “Squid Game” can be a traumatic experience and lead to nightmares. The mass, emotionless slaughter of people in connection with the children’s games and the bright colors of the series scenes could not be understood by children – and kindergarten children in particular could not even express their feelings in the process.
In the case of older children between ten and 15 years of age, it can be assumed that many people speak cool about the series – “even if the pictures are then inscribed more deeply than they probably admit,” said Götz. Parents should also pay attention to them and offer the conversation.
Should the Netflix series “Squid Game” end up on the index?
According to media educator Iren Schulz, the series should be completely kept away from minors. “According to our youth protection rules, what happens in ‘Squid Game’ in terms of content and visuals should be released at the most from the age of 18 – or even end up on the index,” she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The FSK-16 approval is not enough if even many elementary school children obviously have access, Schulz continues. Parents should definitely use technical blocking options, create child profiles and protect access with a password. If you noticed that your child was secretly watching “Squid Game” somewhere, you should take a clear position: “Then you have to discuss again why the child shouldn’t watch the series and, if necessary, readjust the technical settings.”
For many people, debt is not just part of a series, it’s a stressful problem. What chances do people with debt have if they cannot meet their financial obligations? (tvd / dpa / KNA)
