A Strathalbyn school has voiced concerns to parents about young students watching the MA15+ Netflix program, Squid Game.

The Australian Classification Board which gave it the MA15+ rating advises that the program features strong violence, strong blood and gore, strong sex scenes, strong suicide themes and strong crude humour.

In a post on Facebook, the management of Eastern Fleurieu School said, “We are becoming increasingly concerned about a viral show on Netflix called Squid Game.”

“Staff have reported some students talking about and beginning to play games from the series in the yard. Students are also viewing snippets of the show on TikTok, YouTube and other such platforms.”

“We believe this is not appropriate viewing for students and we would like to bring this to the attention of our EFS community.

“It is rated M15+ and the content includes gambling, murdering people for fun, sex and nudity, drugs and alcohol and themes surrounding suicide.

“We encourage you all to check with your children and their browsing histories to ensure they are not exposed to such content.

Squid Game is a South Korean television series which was released on Netflix in September. It has since become a global phenomenon and the most watched Netflix original series.  

However schools and educational authorities around the world have become concerned at how many children have been watching the violent game and are play-acting out scenarios at school.

The series shows a few hundred desperate and indebted people being invited to take part in a competition of children’s games for a chance to win an enormous amount of cash.

In the first episode however it becomes apparent that the penalty for failing or losing is not just to leave the game but to be killed.

Commonsensemedia.org says “parents need to know that the level of violence is very intense in Squid Game.”

“Characters are systematically tortured and killed for the sadistic pleasure of a game master. Adults have sex, and there are threats of sexual violence: Women are grabbed by the hair and beaten. Themes concerning the highs one gets from gambling, winning, or conning money are a main focus.”