The South Korean survival program “Squid game” premiered last month and has since become Netflix’s most successful series launch, topping the streaming service’s TV charts in nearly 100 countries.
However, it has been claimed that some of the game’s aggressive challenges have been copied by children, prompting Bedfordshire Council to intervene.
Parents are urged to “be cautious after hearing concerns that children and young people are replicating games and violence from the blockbuster new Netflix series Squid Game, which is rated 15,” according to an email.
“There have been some concerning reports recently about children and young people ‘playing’ ‘Squid Game’ whilst at school.
“We strongly advise that children should not watch ‘Squid Game’. The show is quite graphic with a lot of violent content,” the mail added.
Earlier, Dystopian South Korean drama has become Netflix’s most popular series launch ever, drawing 111 million fans since its debut less than four weeks ago, the streaming service said Tuesday.
The unprecedented global viral hit imagines a macabre world in which marginalized people are pitted against one another in traditional children’s games.
While the victor can earn millions in cash, losing players are killed.
Spreading around the world by word of mouth, especially via social media, “Squid Game” has topped Netflix charts in more than 80 countries.
“Squid Game has officially reached 111 million fans — making it our biggest series launch ever!” tweeted Netflix.
By comparison, Regency romp “Bridgerton” reached 82 million households on debut, using Netflix’s internal metric which includes any account that watched an episode for at least two minutes.
The success of the series amplifies South Korea’s increasingly outsized influence on global popular culture, following the likes of K-pop band BTS and Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.”