And the winner is….It is indeed a very special moment in anyone’s life to hear our name or the name of our close ones after this sentence but the real question is how much amount of efforts and time it takes to achieve this goal. Nowadays there is an increase in the number of reality shows that have children as contestants which cause television ratings to go up. It has opened the doors for many upcoming artists but it has an environment in which these kids find themselves surrounded by cameras which makes their growth more difficult.
Such shows follow similar patterns where some good-talented children are selected by the judges and then later there is elimination process where the judges do these honours. Finally there are usually three participants left to fight for the title of the winner and then there is finally a winner announced.
Addiction to popularity
This fame is just for a day or two but these kids are too young to handle this fame and they may get carried away. They soon get addicted to this popularity, they sign autographs wherever they go, they get a chance for movie/album, and they become ambassadors of different products and much more. If they keep up this glory then they have a huge chance to show their talent outside the reality show in the real world. But if they don’t win the next time they might get depressed and this emotional burden is hard for them to handle. And what about the one who don’t win? Their disappointments, embarrassment, anger, frustration all have an effect on their life. They are too young to face these emotions. They feel as they have failed and couldn’t live up to their parent’s expectation and further they might avoid participating in any such contests. Parents who teach their children to take their failure as a stepping stone, those children will only leave the show with something learned from the elders and mentors there. In majority of the shows the winner is selected on the basis of votes received, thus winning also depends on the marketing strategy to get votes apart from the talent. What a weird way of selection!
In some shows the comments of the judges are really harsh for the kids to handle. In fact even the adults find it difficult to handle the pressure of the reality show so we can imagine how tough it is for children. On the other hand some judges are good mentors and a helping hand for the children. The kids not only get to learn more about the skill they possess but also learn the other aspects of life as well.
Eg: One such case in India can be recollected when Shinjini Sengupta a participant of a dance reality show in Kolkata suffered from a paralytic attack due to the rude comments of the judges.
The Parental Pressure
From all aspects parents too are culprits for putting pressure on the kids. Sometimes the reason behind this pressurization is the huge amount of prize money and other time the fame and popularity behind the title.
- Parents should know their children’s physical and mental capabilities and act accordingly.
- They should think twice before they put their kid’s name in any reality show.
- Without any doubt it is a very nice platform for showcasing their talents but they must teach them sportsmanship and not pressurize their kid to win as they might end up stressing up their children.
Child Participants are expected to behave as adults
Children are sweet and innocent souls and it is very warming to watch these children showcase their talent but there is also another side to this beautiful picture which is awful to watch. Reality shows reveal many things that can sometimes corrupt a child’s mind. In singing reality shows the types of songs sung by some children have sexually appealing lyrics. In dance reality shows show children pouting or wriggling their waist and such other vulgar dancing is not at all a treat to watch. In addition to this, reality show develops a feeling of ego and competition amongst the participants and as the competition goes on this arrogance increases and later when the child matures, balancing and handling this egotism amongst peers is a huge challenge and because of this they make enemies unnecessarily.
There are two sides of a coin, so we must always look at any situation from both the viewpoints. After all participating in such shows is a matter of choice. One may choose to stay away from the limelight if they feel so.
Guidelines of National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for children participating in these reality shows
There are some guidelines for a child to participate in such reality shows laid down by National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which states briefly that:
- The content of the show should not put the child in distress or situation that they might not able to be handle.
- They must not be shown to be displaying scenes containing nudity, drinking, smoking and other such behavior.
- The children must not be depicting scenes or words that are inappropriate for their age and sense.
- Even the judges in the show must not give comments that might ridicule or hurt the child in any way. The government also takes care of their studies because the rules also allow them to only shoot for a few hours and permitted to complete their studying in mid breaks too.
- Atleast one parent of the child must stay with them during the course of the show.
Some guidelines also safeguard their physical aspects by various other facilities.
ADVANTAGES OF BEING A PART OF A CHILD REALITY SHOW:
- It provides a better platform for everyone around the world irrespective of any bondage.
- The variety of shows provides chances for individuals with any talent to showcase their talent and excel.
- These shows help the participants learn more and improvise their skills in their respective fields.
- It provides a person with a good career and a fair amount of income to showcase their real life (often scripted).
- The children may become competitive by participating in these shows and they may get used to failures and success.
- It may help the child to overcome the stage fear and shyness.
- It helps people to show their talent in front of the whole world through National TV Channels and the most upcoming artists nowadays are the product of reality shows.
DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A PART OF A CHILD REALITY SHOW:
- The drama attached to this reality shows goes completely off track. There are numerous episodes and rounds and cries and laughs and the reality is lost behind.
- This is the age for children to study and play instead of dealing with this stress and pressure.
- The rivalry among children at such age is not that good. Children should compete and not fight!
- The parents tend to fulfill their own desire through their children and hence there is an immense pressure on the kids.
- Children have to spend long working hours for rehearsals, shoots, recordings, superstar meets and various other activities.
- These reality shows don’t have much of reality and they are often scripted thus the kids behave as they have been said to. Their emotions are faked.
- It ruins the privacy of the participants as they are suddenly attracted by the media, newspapers and interviews.
The glamour world is very fascinating but it is very stressful for a child. Allow them to enjoy their childhood with joy and fun!!!
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