The Psychology Behind Watching Squid Game 

In the survival thriller horror drama Squid Game, desperate individuals play lethal children’s games against each other in the hope of winning an enormous sum of money.  It exposes the extremes of privilege, injustice, and societal power in a captivating cautionary tale. Its intense narrative does not entertain. Instead, it reflects the flaws in our society. This makes it a worldwide phenomenon. It strikes into the very soul of people. This paper explores the psychological aspects that made it so appealing, encompassing all the theories,  emotions, and social commentary to make it such an awesome ride. 

A Timely Reflection of Social Distress 

Released during a time of global instability and human suffering, Squid Game summarizes the powerlessness, frustration, and confusion many experienced from the pandemic. The themes of economic inequality and survival resonate with viewers facing financial and social struggles. As a result, it becomes a metaphor for real-world struggles. This is not a new theme in the brutal display of social inequality. Squid Game puts its characters in circumstances that strip them of their humanity. It forces them to face their deepest fears and desires. The show is against systems that favour wealth and privilege over empathy and fairness. It reflects the despair and nihilism that prevail in today’s society.

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Why We Watch: Psychological Theories in Play 

Various psychological theories and concepts help elucidate why the audience becomes so engrossed by a dark, violent plot in Squid Game.

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory 

Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs suggests that there are five stages of human motivation, ranging from basic physiological needs to self-actualization. Squid Game places its players on the lowest tier, where survival itself becomes their need. The life-or-death situation of the games compels them to focus entirely on the physiological needs of the gamers, such as food, shelter, and survival, ruling out higher-order needs like morality, love, and self-esteem. This is a prime example of how extreme situations make people lose their humanity and do morally questionable things. 

2. Yerkes-Dodson Law 

The psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson established the Yerkes-Dodson law, stating that stress and performance are correlated. This law states that while high levels of stress lead performance to decline, moderate stress enhances performance. The characters of Squid Game work under extreme pressure where they fight for their lives. This thrusts most of them over their optimal stress levels, and the result is poor decision-making, breakdowns, and impulsive action. The show has expertly told the consequences of such high-pressure environments and served as a cautionary tale on human resilience. 

3. Complex PTSD 

Traumatized participants can easily fall in the ranks of suffering patients with Complex  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which has major characteristics such as chronic experience in traumatic conditions for significant lengths with symptoms that may emerge as emotional dysregulation and general lack of trust. In Squid Game, the characters experience facets of C-PTSD while on their journey to the horrific games. The mental collapse they undergo brings into sharp focus what extended periods of stress and trauma can do to a person’s mental state and emotional balance.

4. Morbid Curiosity 

This was an unexplainable morbid curiosity for the macabre and the taboo, a natural human attraction; through Squid Game, its dark, twisted premise makes viewers continue watching even when it becomes uncomfortable. The stark difference between innocent children’s games and violent effects heightens this curiosity, makes the viewers, and keeps them hooked. 

Investing Emotionally in the Story  

In order to make spectators feel invested in the characters’ outcomes, Squid Game has successfully evoked a wide range of emotions, from terror to empathy.  

• The cathartic: By observing the characters’ hardships, the show provides a secure environment for viewers to process their bottled-up emotions of dread, despair, and worry. The audience can experience emotional relief and the release of bottled-up feelings. 
• Anxiety and Fear: The tension-filled high-stakes games make viewers feel frightened and anxious, which stimulates their level of focus. The unpredictable nature of its plot takes the audience on a thrilling emotional journey. 
• Empathy: Viewers can identify with individuals because of their well-developed backstories, such as Ali Abdul’s struggles as an immigrant worker or Seong Gi-hun’s financial hardship. 

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Social Commentary and Reflection

In addition to its psychological impact, Squid Game makes a powerful social statement,  particularly about privilege, class conflict, and human nature. 

1. Economic Inequality and Class Conflict  

People oppressed by debt, poverty, and social inferiority compete in Squid Game. It casts light on the dehumanizing effect of economic inequality and throws up questions regarding its morality. The games themselves reflect the cutthroat capitalist world, where individuals often gain success at another’s expense. The show delivers a clear and scary message: in a system focused on wealth and power, people abandon even the most basic human traits such as empathy and compassion.

2. Human Nature and Morality 

How would you stay alive? To what extent would you go to keep your loved ones safe? The show poses profound concerns concerning human nature and morality. The show brings out the fragility of morality under extreme circumstances and how people can so easily abandon their values when their lives are at stake. It makes viewers confront some uncomfortable truths about their own beliefs and behaviours. 

3. Cultural Significance 

Even as it is an intrinsic part of Korean culture, Squid Game has reached the global community because of its universal elements. For Western viewers, the cultural references are not so clear, but the overall message about social injustice and the human spirit will be interpreted across cultures. The program has also initiated debates over globalization and how media have shaped perceptions about other cultures.

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Psychological Escape and Distraction 

This will be an escape for viewers since it gives them a temporary distraction from their respective problems. 

• Escaping Reality: The thriller show has a very aggressive, high-stakes storyline that is quite exciting to distract people from the stressors of their day-to-day lives. In the storyline of Squid Game,  viewers are distracted by what is happening in their respective lives for the time being. 
• Life Experience: By watching the characters have life-and-death situations, fear, excitement, and even emotional intensity are vicariously experienced by the viewer without reaping any of the latter. 
• Mental Refreshment: Though it deals with very heavy themes, Squid Game gives viewers entertainment to refresh mentally. The adrenaline rush with the emotional release can be cathartic so that the viewers feel a re-energizing. 

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Human Psychology Lessons 

The Squid Game has lessons in human psychology; it’s lessons in trust, teams, and trauma effects. 

• Trust and Betrayal: Alliances and betrayals in games reflect the intricacies of trust in high-pressure situations. The show portrays how desperate people can be made to behave against their conscience, sometimes at the cost of others. 
• Teamwork and Competition: While competition is the central theme, the show also emphasizes teamwork. In games like tug-of-war, the team that works together and strategizes will often outperform the team that relies on brute strength, so teamwork is emphasized. 
• Controlling Emotions: The emotional reactions of the characters to stress and trauma provide lessons in resilience and coping. Some characters break under pressure, while others find ways to adapt and persevere, showing the different ways humans respond to adversity. 

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Conclusion

Squid Game is, on the one hand, funny, provoking, and reflects the problems of society. On the other hand, what makes the audiences’ hearts resonate can be found in its profundity of the exploration of human nature, morality, and social inequality. Wrapped in a social message, Squid Game is a dystopian fiction that tests viewers’ values and beliefs while being a great escape from reality. In the depth of emotion, cultural significance, or psychological insights, Squid Game leaves an impression and finds its place in one of the most compelling narratives of our time.