Schools and educational charities have issued a warning to parents as pupils appear to be mimicking the violent games featured in hit Netflix show Squid Game.
Reports have emerged that children have been beating up 'eliminated' players when the game is being played in playgrounds up and down the the country, reports The Mirror.
The fictional series, which has become Netflix's most watched show in 90 countries, sees hundreds of debt-ridden contestants take on survival tasks - masked as popular playground games - for a huge cash prize.
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The name Squid Games comes from a Korean schoolyard game where children run towards a finish line when "green light" is called out, then freeze if "red light" is shouted - any players caught moving are eliminated.
But, in the Netflix show, players who are caught moving are shot dead and the violent scenes are not suitable for children.
John Jolly, CEO of Parentkind, a charity network of PTA fundraisers in the UK, said: "Where there are safeguarding concerns, especially when children younger than the 15 rating are watching the show at home, parents need to exercise judgement as to whether or not it's suitable for their child.
"They should use parental supervision to decide, just as they should when it comes to any entertainment containing adult themes that their child wishes to see.
"Where there are specific worries, we encourage schools to work in partnership with parents as they have done in Kent.
"This will increase parental awareness of the issues and ensure that parents can reinforce the school's values in the home."
A spokeswoman for Sandown School in Deal, Kent said Key Stage 2 teachers have given their pupils extra lessons on online safety and the dangers of watching content that is "not age appropriate".
"We are always updating our advice to the parents and children, it's something we are constantly updating.
"As a response to this show and others we have put on extra lessons about violence and online harms."
On social media, one parent wrote: "We've received 2 school letters (primary/secondary) warning parents about letting kids watch 'Squid Game'.
"I'm starting to think a more general letter about parental responsibility might be more useful. Keep an eye on your kids' media consumption people."
The director of Squid Game has said he did not expect the “fever” around the show.
The Korean drama, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, sees people who are in dire financial straits sent a mysterious invitation to join a game which could win them 45.6 billion South Korean won (around £28 million).
To win the money the 456 contestants must play traditional children’s games such as Red Light, Green Light, with the price for failure being death.
Hwang said: “We did target a global audience from the start, but this fever wasn’t anything I had expected. I mean, who could have?”
