Is It necessary to ban reality shows Featuring Celebrities’Children?

A recent ban on reality shows featuring celebrities children has provoked heated debate among the public in china. in April， chinas state Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and television issued a regulation stipulating reality shows with celebrities children would not be allowed to be produced or broadcast and entertainment reports should not hype celebrities children.

After Dad！ Where Are We Going？， Chinas first reality show featuring parent-child relationship inspired by a popular south Korean tV program， was aired in 2013， many celebritieschildren became hot stars， with subsequent frequent appearances in advertisements and entertainment reports. the over-exposure caused concerns about the possible violation of the youngsters privacy and the negative impact on their healthy development， not to mention the potentially bad influence on peer children who watched such programs.

Many people， therefore， applaud the ban， saying it protects minors from being exploited by a commercial society. however， others maintain it is an overreaction to worry that such shows will strip children of their innocence. this group says such shows bring the audience fun and function as a mirror for parents who grow aware of their parenting deficiencies and learn from other parents.

PRO

Zhang Zhang Youth.cn

After the parent-child reality show Dad！ Where Are We Going？ became a blockbuster in 2013， a series of similar shows were broadcast in succession. While the popularity of such shows gave celebrities a new chance to win more fans， their children also became famous and were chased by advertisers. Admittedly， such shows create certain positive impacts， such as advocating parental love and appropriate parenting. However， after seeing the whole picture， I think the harm such shows cause to the participating children outweighs the benefits.

First， many shows deliberately create conflict， forcing the kids to cry for theatrical effects and higher viewership ratings， and causing them psychologi- cal harm. For instance， in one episode of Dad！ Where Are We Going？， there is a scene in which a little girl has to accomplish some tasks to save her father from being “beheaded.” I think such a brutal content crosses the moral limits. Besides， before the broadcasts， program editors add subtitles cooking up imaginary intimate relations between the participating boys and girls or amplifying the disputes among them. The reality shows are only shows， with no real emotional content. Second， such shows foster an inappropriate mindset filled with just hype， money worshipping and competition， even over family backgrounds. After getting famous due to the show， kids acquire a fortune by endorsing commercial products. Instead of working hard， they achieve success simply because they are the children of celebrities. This kind of scenario inevitably influences other young peoples values， encouraging them to fantasize about attaining overnight success and believing that family backgrounds are more important than hard work. They will begin to envy the life of the well-off kids in the shows and ask for whatever the celebrity kids wear， use or eat， increasing the financial burden on their parents. They will also develop a craze to flaunt their wealth and vie with others.

But most importantly， such programs have no respect for the participating childrens feelings. Are they willing to take part in the program？ Do they have any interest in them？ There is no measure to protect the children if they do not. Things that are a private matter， like the childrens personal preferences or experiences， become totally exposed to the public. It enables people who are absolute strangers to sit in judgment on the youngsters， judging whatever they do or say. Sometimes， the public judgments are so harsh that the kids are not able to handle them. And it is never they who decide if they should participate in the show.

Protecting kids is not a matter of mere talk； it requires action. I think the ban will arouse society to care for childrens rights and interests. We as adults need to listen to what young people say， respect their willingness or reluctance， and create a social environment for their sound growth. It is good not only for celebrities kids but all young people.

CON

Wang Wei Zhihu.com

I dont think such shows should be banned. We can find some merits in them. When the audience is tired of make-believe or clichéd themes， they want to see programs where there are no actors， directors or plots but only real emotions. Reality shows featuring kids fall right into this category. They insightfully reflect the mindsets of todays youngsters and have far-reaching implications. Acclaimed reality shows foster young peoples sense of participation in social events， help them improve their hands-on skills and sense of teamwork. In the popular show of Dad！ Where Are We Going？， kids developed a strong sense of friendship through taking part in games and experiencing difficulties， all of which was valuable for their growth.

Of course， the shows are not perfect. Some contents may have infringed on childrens privacy or harmed them psychologically. But these problems can be resolved through stricter government supervision. It was unnecessary to impose a ban because of minor defects.

CON

Luo Xi Writer

Its an overreaction to think such shows will undermine kids simplicity or innocence. For a long time， fathers have been absent from family education. These shows call for the return of the paternal role. I think it is a positive thing. Besides， watching these cute kids “perform” is a way for viewers to release their pressures. Many young people love the shows.

I dont agree that the shows are destroying kids childhoods. Youngsters are an indispensable part of our happy life. We cannot say having kids around us and enjoying family happiness are having a detrimental effect on children.

Adults preferences or rules dont make the shows popular. In Dad！ Where Are We Going？， for example， the kids the audience loved were cute and childlike， not those following the rules.

As for the young participants， it is a life experience and a valuable memory for them. There is no need to worry so much.

CON

Tang Li Internet surfer

I cannot understand the ban. Compared to reality shows featuring relationships or games， those with kids are more suitable for the whole familys viewing. Enjoying these cute kids performances helps drive away the blues. To the audience， kids kindness and simplicity are touching and their shortcomings make us， adults， reflect on our parenting.

As the father of a 5-year-old boy， I have learned a lot from these shows： how to raise my child， the importance of communicating with family members， and how to teach kids courtesy and derive happiness from sharing. What celebritieskids do is demonstrative. After watching the show， my boy took the initiative of washing my feet to show his filial piety， which touched me considerably.

PRO

Tian Shuiyue Blog.sina.com.cn

Spurred by high exposure and appearances and product endorsement fees， some celebrities or ordinary parents exploited their kids， showing them off in reality shows. Some even regarded their childrens private moments as their selling points. It not only harms kids participating in the programs， but also sets a bad example for the youngsters in the audience.

The regulation on reality shows featuring children under such circumstances does not totally ban kids from appearing in TV programs， but sets rules for producing and broadcasting similar shows. It is a necessary correction of current reality shows that are diverging from the original intention of being inspiring and educational.

With immature youngsters being the major recipients of such programs， every act or word in the shows will subtly influence them. A regulation in essence means protecting children from being misguided.

PRO

Sun Wei Eastday.com

No matter what they claim to be， reality shows featuring children are profit-driven entertainment programs whose only pursuit is higher audience rating. If the childrens wishes are to be respected， the rating may be compromised， a risk no producer will take. Therefore， instead of childrens simplicity and innocence， adults rules and preferences inevitably dominate such shows. We can well imagine what influence they will have on kids.

People have just one childhood， which is transient. Entertainment shows dominated by adult minds do no good to the development of the children participating in them. I dont believe an audience rating-driven reality show can reflect childrens real world. It is just a response to market demands， a production pandering to popular entertainment tastes.