“Humble request to authorities to urgently ban all reality shows involving children. It’s actually destroying them emotionally and their purity” - Shoojit Sircar, director

Recently director Shoojit Sircar, in a tweet, asked authorities to ban reality TV shows that have children as participants. Such shows are not only destroying the kids emotionally and physically but also taking away their innocence from an early age, he said. Employment of child actors was common in television channels, but the number has spiralled in the last decade or so. What is the reason behind this trend? Are these  shows  destroying our kids’ childhood? We debate...

It’s raining money 

With the cash prizes on offer by the different channels and their sponsors these days sky-rocketing, the race is getting more intense. “Reality shows are ruling the revenue lists and seem to be the one show every channel is interested in producing. Some of the shows even use children as anchors in order to garner eyeballs,” said Sircar. 

Extra-curricular

Though supporters claim that  participation in reality shows are an extension of the extra curricular activities  enforced in schools, over the years, it has been commercialised for the profit of the channels. “Students are pressured into participation and most of the times, it ends up damaging their academic careers,” adds director Amol Gupte.

The reality 

According to Venkatesh Chakravarthy, director, LV Prasad Films, “We miss the child labour issue (laws) when it comes to reality shows. Most of the times, two or three episodes are shot in a day, and that squeezes the energy out of the young participants.” 

A fad: Who is responsible?

1 This is not restricted to any one social stratum. It is quite common for well-to-do parents to drive their kids to these television shows where they perform. The parents are not looking at the overall growth of their kids, and treating the talent shows as platforms for success in the television industry. They forget that the kid may not be inclined towards such shows.

2 The parents are also responsible for putting the kids under pressure to perform well in these reality shows, which are gradually becoming status symbols or a platform for bragging. Students are forced to practice for hours on end to perfect their performances, which leaves them both mentally and physically exhausted. 

3 There are special academies which train the kids for participating in specific reality shows. This has only added to the physical and mental pressure for kids, who are torn between their studies and the pressure to perform well on stage.

What the law on child labour says

• The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 allows child labour in “family or family enterprises” or allows the child to be “an artist in an audio-visual entertainment industry”. 
• This exemption is also conditional and stipulates taking up prescribed safety measures.

Experts’ take 

According to psychologists, reality shows are not a healthy influence on young children, who are put under a lot of stress during their production. Harsh words from the competition's judges can be a cause for distress and anxiety among young contestants, who lack the maturity of adults, and as a result, may feel humiliated on national television. This can have a major impact on the mental health of the children. Besides, the fear of rejection could affect them mentally. The kids are exposed to the limelight very early in life, and most of them find it very difficult to handle a gruelling life.