Elon Musk Urges Parents To Cancel Netflix Subscriptions For Kids' Sake: Here's Why

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, has called on parents to immediately cancel their children's Netflix subscriptions, citing concerns over the streaming giant's promotion of what he and critics describe as "gender ideology" in children's programming. The tech billionaire's warning, posted on X (formerly Twitter), has ignited a firestorm of debate, with some reportedly even joining a backlash against the platform's family-friendly content.

"Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids," Musk wrote in response to a viral post highlighting controversial storylines in popular kids' shows. The remark came amid widespread outrage over episodes in series like Cocomelon Lane, a show targeted at children as young as 2 years old, which features a boy dressing up as a girl to celebrate with his two LGBT dad parents. Critics, including Musk, argue that such content introduces complex gender and identity themes too early, potentially confusing or indoctrinating young viewers.

The controversy erupted following the release of multiple children's cartoons on Netflix that incorporate transgender narratives, prompting a surge in subscription cancellations. Musk's intervention amplifies a growing parental movement against what they see as the "transgender woke agenda" infiltrating kids' entertainment. This aligns with Musk's long-standing crusade against "wokism," a term he has used to criticise progressive ideologies in media and tech. Musl and xAI are also said to be working on Grokipedia, as they feel that 'Wikipedia has been hijacked by leftist'.

Musk's comments were prompted by a post from influencer Oli London, who detailed the backlash and shared screenshots of the offending Cocomelon Lane episode. One user lamented, "Protect our children from woke leftist indoctrination. Enough." Another parent shared, "I gave up on Netflix immediately when my son was watching Ridley Jones and some child-bison was declaring himself non-binary. Good thing I never let him watch TV, or Netflix, alone."

This comes just a month after Musk was under the fire for adding 'Spicy Mode' in Grok Imagine for generating sexualised AI content. The new Spicy mode enables NSFW content, including nudity and sexualised videos. Additionally, Grok was also the first AI chatbot to be banned in any country. In a landmark move, Turkey blocked access to the Grok AI after it allegedly produced responses considered offensive toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Netflix, boasting around 238 million global subscribers as of 2023, defends its offerings with parental controls and content ratings.