A 14-year-old boy has been hospitalized following an attempt to recreate Squid Game’s infamous honeycomb challenge. The game, also known as Dalgona Candy, is particularly familiar to Korean audiences and is just one of a multitude of contests featured on the show. Also depicted in the hit Netflix series are deadly iterations of Red Light, Green Light, Tug of War, and Marbles.
Squid Game made its debut in September and rapidly became Netflix’s most successful show to date. Helmed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the survival drama follows 456 debt-ridden contestants who are coerced to play a series of deadly children’s games in the hopes of securing an enormous cash prize. Recently in the run-up to Halloween, Netflix celebrated Squid Game’s success by staging a small, substantially less life-threatening recreation of some of the games featured in the show. As Squid Game seemed to cause an obvious spike in Halloween sales, there were those who attempted to preemptively discourage people from mimicking the show’s contests. Most recently, a school district in New York outright banned its students from donning its familiar red and green jumpsuits, fearing that children would be hurt attempting to copy the games from the show.
Now in a new development, The Daily Mail reports that a 14-year-old boy in Sydney, Australia has seriously injured himself attempting to recreate Squid Game’s honeycomb challenge. The boy, named Aiden Higgie, copied a honeycomb recipe he found on TikTok, but the mixture allegedly exploded in the microwave. He sustained first-degree burns to his hand and severe third-degree burns and nerve damage to his leg, which doctors fear will require a skin graft.
This latest report is just the most recent incident that proves Squid Game has had a far deeper impact on its viewership than mere entertainment. Online searches across the world relating to the show have skyrocketed, with a significant spike in people researching honeycomb recipes. In the lead up to Halloween, retailers in particular have noted the series’ impact on sales. Vans reported a phenomenal increase in the purchase of white slip-ons, which it believes to be predominantly motivated by Squid Game and the approach of October 31.
Whether the current frenzy surrounding the show will die down now that Halloween has arrived remains to be seen. While it can be assumed the demand for costumes will decline significantly, the same cannot be said for people’s desire to recreate the show’s games. Squid Game’s success has largely been credited to its relatability across the globe, garnering it a cult following. A fundamental pillar of the show is its use of simple childhood games, unfortunately making it easily replicable for adults and children alike. Though the risk of Squid Game inspired party games is perhaps alleviated by the passage of October, it's possible that further instances will be reported as the show’s popularity continues to soar, even on the playground.
Source: The Daily Mail