The netflix series squid game as a cultural reflection of the digital gaming universe

The process of digitalization has transformed not only the gaming industry but also the television series sector. While television series were once confined to broadcast media, they are now accessible anytime and anywhere through internet-based digital platforms, transcending traditional temporal and spatial limitations. Audiences can participate in serial media culture either through paid subscriptions or free access without being constrained by fixed broadcasting schedules. Netflix represents one of the leading digital streaming platforms that offers viewers access to a wide range of films and television series through subscription-based services. Through applications available on televisions, computers, and smartphones, Netflix provides users with continuous access to cultural content whenever they are connected to the internet. One of the most prominent examples of such content is Squid Game(2021), a South Korean Netflix series that has attracted global attention. This study aims to examine how game culture, shaped by digitalization, is represented and reconstructed within the narrative structure of Squid Game. Employing textual analysis as its methodological framework, the study investigates the series through the concepts of commodification, simulation, and digital culture. The findings indicate that the series presents the human body, consumption practices, and cultural products as commodities while simultaneously positioning play as an industrial and ideological apparatus. Through its visual and auditory representations, Squid Game introduces alternative perspectives on audience perception, illustrating how contemporary digital culture commodifies both human existence and entertainment.