\u2192Psychologist Urges Parents To Stop Their Children From Watching Netflix\u2019s Squid Game | This Morning<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t A new television series, like non-other, has dominated the screens of Netflix subscribers worldwide. <\/p>\n The most-watched Tv series in history with 142 million households tuning in during the first four weeks on air, Squid Game<\/em> is dubbed one of the most \u201cviolent dramas\u201d ever to air. <\/p>\n Warnings to parents of the psychological trauma this program is likely to have on young minds are coming in thick and fast. <\/p>\n Psychologists believe the graphic nature of the content, which includes \u2013 as one report says, \u201cunsettling levels of violence\u201d, can have detrimental effects on the psyche and wellbeing of developing minds.<\/p>\n Parents are warned to pay close attention to the content their kids consume as intensely violent media is becoming popularised by youth. \u2013 By Emily Rack<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Claire Orange<\/strong> is a Therapist and Co-founder of DiGii Social<\/a> \u00a0 – She shares her professional insights in her article below. Claire is a cyber safety expert.<\/p>\n https:\/\/digiisocial.com<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Squid Game \u2013 it\u2019s everywhere! My older teens and young adults have watched and loved it, enjoying the game play aspects of their childhood now made adult with a life-death twist.<\/p>\n They actively defended the content until we talked about how they would feel if their younger cousins were to watch it. \u2018Why would anyone let a child watch that?\u2019 they wondered of Squid Game content, showing adults involved in children\u2019s games but with a whole bunch of stabbing, shooting and killing to win the game and win the money. My boys\u2019 response reminded me of just how quickly childhood has changed \u2013 from theirs growing up in the early 2000\u2019s to now \u2013 not that many years later.<\/p>\n Of course, now, accessibility of content through socials and apps means that even if a child is not looking for it, it is likely to end up somewhere in their viewable content \u2013 through shares of friends, tagging or simply seeing it on TikTok or YouTube.<\/p>\n It\u2019s complex! Even if your child is not allowed access to this content, it doesn\u2019t mean that it won\u2019t end up in the playground as some sort of well narrated game, lead by a child who is able to access that content.<\/p>\n And, of course, it also leans into that thrill of being a \u2018big kid\u2019 and doing things that are a bit edgy, a bit naughty and a bit \u2018grown up\u2019. Well, until it all goes wrong that is. How many times do we say, as parents, it\u2019s all fun and games until someone goes too far and it ends up in tears? If I had a dollar for every time I said that I would be a very, very wealthy mumma!<\/p>\n So, protection \u2013 how do we then achieve it if it feels like holding age-inappropriate content back from our young ones is like holding off a tsunami with half a dozen sandbags?<\/p>\n Education. That\u2019s the answer. In so many ways in childhood we protect our children from harm by educating them, telling them about the risk, giving examples and then teaching them what to do. Here are some examples.<\/p>\n In each of those examples we teach our children through explaining what might happen and by teaching them a skill to help them if it does. Access to online content for us and our young ones is like breathing \u2013 it\u2019s just part of what we do. Too often we forget that this is a very adult environment now populated by children, with these children needing a highly polished skillset to not only survive but to thrive in this space.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t If we take the same approach as we do in most aspects of parenting, we would then talk about Squid Game not specifically by naming that content, but by talking about seeing content that\u2019s not meant for young eyes. Naming the content \u2013 like trying to describe specifically the sort of stranger that might signal danger \u2013 isn\u2019t helpful.<\/p>\n Instead, we need to reflect on what it is we\u2019re most worried about with that content (highly sexualised or graphically violent content), communicate that, and also have some helpful suggestions and boundaries to put in place. This is the skeleton of how I\u2019d approach this conversation about Squid Game with curiosity, the willingness to listen and to co-create a solution:<\/p>\n Each one of those questions will yield some interesting conversations. Make sure you\u2019ve sent your face the memo about being open to listening so that no over-horrified or disgusted looks pop up.<\/p>\n For most tweens and early-stage teens, feeling like they\u2019re being asked and not told is important. Usually being told to do something \u2013 or not to do something \u2013 means that the exact opposite will happen. It\u2019s also useful to talk about a similar experience that you might have had when you were young, how it made you feel, and what you did about it.\u00a0 I remember watching \u2018Nightmare on Elm Street\u2019 as a teenager at a sleepover and thinking that I\u2019d never ever sleep again. Being able to tell a parent, knowing they wouldn\u2019t be happy about it, but counting on them not to blow a fuse was my greatest comfort as time did its thing and erased the ghastly gaping emotional torment of what I saw every time I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard not to feel anxious when there\u2019s lots of information around on the horrors of this, and the damage waiting to be done of that. Our young ones are growing up in a digital world with a very high risk of exposure t content that will crash into their psyche at some point \u2013 and for a while.<\/p>\n The greatest protective factor is a grown up who listens before lecturing, who connects before they correct, and who shows up equally emotionally steady in the best of times and worst of times.<\/p>\n So, check your parent controls and check in with your child often. Talk to them about what they\u2019re watching, if it\u2019s the same or different to their friends, and how they\u2019re feeling about it. Remember \u2013 send the memo to your face before you begin. Squid Game is just another \u2013 in a long line of what have been, and will be \u2013 threat to the sacredness of our children\u2019s childhood innocence. Protect with love and controls, talk early and often, and always, always teach the skills needed to cope and seek help.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n *If you are concerned about content that your child has been exposed to and it\u2019s impact on their emotional state and behaviour, please be brave enough to seek help. Start with your family GP. Some children are more influenced by what they see online \u2013 usually inadvertently \u2013 and early help seeking saves lots of family and parental stress.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Guest Contributor: Claire Orange<\/em> Claire Orange is a Therapist and the Director\/Co- founder of DiGii Social. She is an expert in cyber safety and\u00a0educates kids and pre-teens, teenagers and families on how to protect their wellbeing online.<\/i><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/central.digitalschools.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Thin-Grey-Line-2.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nIntroduction.<\/h3>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nLet’s talk Squid Game and Children’s Exposure.<\/h1>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nHow do we protect our children?<\/h3>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nHow to talk to children about Squid Games \u2013 and other similar content<\/h3>\n
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It\u2019s going to be OK<\/h3>\n
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Business Name:\u00a0DiGii Social<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
Publisher:\u00a0Digital Schools<\/em><\/p>\n