Squid Game, the South Korean survival drama released on Netflix in 2021, opens with Red Light, Green Light, a children's game turned deadly for players in debt. A giant doll watches the field and calls the signals, and anyone caught moving after red light is eliminated. Clips of the game spread quickly on TikTok and YouTube, where the green light cue became shorthand for permission to move. Editors still use it because the reference is instantly recognised even without showing the show.