On Sept. 17, 2021, the South Korean drama “Squid Game” (오징어 게임) was released to the whole world through Netflix. Since then, the series has taken the world by storm. It became the streaming service’s most-watched series in a day. Many viewers were enamored with the tense drama, important anti-capitalist message, sad scenes, and even the actors themselves. Since then, “Squid Game” has gotten quite the large, diverse fan base from all over the globe. Koreans and non-Koreans alike enjoy this show.

For those who don’t know what “Squid Game” is all about, it is a fictional show where participants are forced to play several Korean childrens’ games in order to win; however, there’s a twist. If a player loses these games, they die.

Intrigued by the perilous nature of the games, some people have tried to recreate them. Mostly, people tend to recreate the more violent games in video games such as “Roblox” and “Minecraft.” However, some people have taken it a step too far. Others have even gotten hurt in the process.

“Hamsterious” is a YouTube channel for kids that features hamsters in various themed obstacle courses. They did an obstacle course based on “Squid Game,” using hamsters instead of human actors. The obstacle courses have been deemed by many hamster owners to be unsafe for hamsters because they featured high drops and mechanics that didn’t appear to be safe.

Jimmy Donaldson, better known by his YouTube name “MrBeast,” is a YouTuber that has 20.1 billion views combined. He recently spent $3.5 million on making a real-life “Squid Game” setting for average, everyday people to compete in. Of course, there is no actual death involved. Participants were taken out of the game with no death involved if they didn’t succeed.

MrBeast’s actions have been met with mixed responses. Some claim that he’s only having fun and wants to pay homage to “Squid Game,” while others claim that he’s undermining the show’s message.

Around a month ago, a 14-year-old teen suffered multiple third-degree burns after trying and failing to recreate the show’s honeycomb challenge. To make the honeycomb candy, or dalgona/ppopgi as it’s called in South Korea, you need to heat sugar up until it is golden brown, then add baking soda. The boy made it in a plastic cup, and the cup melted into the other contents. He suffered burns after he took the mixture out. Two other children have also been admitted to the hospital suffering from burns after they, too, tried to make dalgona.

So, what’s the answer to this? Are “Squid Game” fans taking the show too far? This may sound like a basic answer, but only a small amount of fans are. The rest are just there to enjoy the show and take in the show’s message and story. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to try out the main games virtually or try the Dalgona challenge, but the best way to ensure that you will be safe is by playing the “Squid Game” games in Roblox or Minecraft and by taking the necessary precautions if you’re thinking about giving the dalgona challenge a try.