Malaysian kindergarten teacher voices alarming concerns about ‘Skibidi Toilet Syndrome’ impacting young children

MALAYSIA: Recently, a concerned kindergarten teacher took to her Facebook to raise awareness among parents about the potential negative effects of a children’s animated series called “Skibidi Toilet”.

Najwa Ayub noticed some unusual drawings of characters from Skibidi Toilet made by one of her students. Intrigued by these drawings, she decided to investigate further.

When she inquired about the characters, her student responded, “This is TV Man, this is Speaker Man, This is CCTV Man, this is Camera Man.”

To her surprise, the student revealed that these characters were depicted engaging in a battle against a character named Skibidi Toilet.

Skibidi Toilet is an animated video series that has gained unexpected popularity among young children.

One of the characters featured in the series is a singing head inside a toilet bowl.

Prompted by her findings, Najwa felt compelled to share her thoughts on the importance of parental supervision when it comes to the content children consume, particularly on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

According to her, the animated video series has an incomprehensible storyline, promotes violence, and has creepy and grotesque visuals, which are not suitable for viewing by children under 7 years old.

She added the animation also has background music that is intentionally modified to overstimulate children’s sensory and brains.

“This is the common formula used to attract the interest of children under 7 years old to watch repeatedly.”

Furthermore, she underscored that content creators often target children under 7 as a lucrative market, prioritizing profit over the well-being of their young audience.

The Facebook post has garnered 1000 likes, 3500 comments, and 5100 shares.

Najwa’s cautionary note sparks dialogue on parental role in managing children’s digital exposure

Najwa’s vigilant message ignited a significant discourse among netizens. Numerous participants emphasized the pivotal responsibility of parents in overseeing their children’s gadget usage. Some shared personal stories, recounting instances where their own children had been exposed to potentially unsuitable content.

A particular netizen insightfully remarked on the importance of refraining from providing gadgets to children at an early age.

“That’s why it’s important for parents not to let children play with gadgets. Let the children have gadgets only when they enter secondary school. ”

“Even in primary school, they want to provide gadgets with the excuse of ‘they’re just kids.’ If things go wrong later on, don’t cry. The children don’t deserve our sympathy because it’s our own decision to let things turn out that way.”

Another commenter shared her story in the comment section.

“My 6-year-old child was singing “skibidi skibidi pa pam” then proceeded to enthusiastically talk about ‘CCTV’. I thought it was something else until I know it was about the toilet story. I banned it straight away.”

Another commenter shared a picture of his child drawing a character from the animation series.

“I honestly thought it was a superhero character. Okay, no more skibidi.”

A netizen commented that even in her 20s, the characters are scary to look at.

The surge of ‘Sindrom Skibidi Toilet’ on TikTok raises concerns

Simultaneously, TikTok is witnessing a surge in popularity of ‘Sindrom Skibidi Toilet’ (Skibidi Toilet Syndrome) in Malaysia, accompanied by ‘Bahaya Skibidi Toilet’ (Dangers of Skibidi Toilet) and ‘Sindrom Skibidi Toilet Kepada Anak Kecil’ (Skibidi Toilet Syndrome in small children).

Online platforms are abuzz with videos showcasing young children mimicking the singing toilet head, eliciting a range of reactions from netizens.

While some viewers find amusement in these videos, others express concerns due to the peculiar facial expressions the children adopt while singing, mirroring those of the animated character.

User ‘annisawjs’ on TikTok has compiled a video featuring children singing along with segments from the animation series, aiming to underscore the negative impact it may have on its audience.

https://www.tiktok.com/@annisasjw/video/7262875073608994055?_r=1&_t=8eXpFV11NY1

The video that is currently trending in Malaysia was posted just a day ago and has already amassed an impressive 608,300 views, accompanied by 14,800 likes and 624 comments.

In contrast, an original video featuring a young child singing the theme song has managed to accumulate a staggering 8.8 million views since its upload on June 29th.

@lulus4n_sd

Candu skibidi toilet 🤣 part 1 #skibiditoilet #bocah

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