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Not a model act
It is difficult to judge whether modelling in
fashion shows benefits children or not. The glamour and money can make them lose their childhood, writes
Shoma A. Chatterji
Craftworld Events, in partnership with the Retailers Association of India, organised the India Kids Fashion Show last month at a plush hotel in Mumbai. Around 500 children, between four to 14 years, selected from Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi, walked the ramp. There were 24 shows, with eight designers displaying their collections each day. Kids sporting stylish apparel, shoes and accessories of renowned designers walked the ramp. The kids zoomed in on the ramp on skateboard and synchronised dance steps. While some people agree that allowing children below 12 to walk the ramp should not be allowed as it amounted to child labour, there are some who feel that it does not matter. They feel that if children could be used for advertisements and films, there is no harm in their being made to walk the ramp. Let us find out from others what they think. Chennai-based Kamalini Mukherjee, a model and a very successful actress, says, “Children should be allowed to be children! If ramp walking is a one-off experience, I have nothing against it but children exposed to the glamour field regularly, be it fashion, films or reality shows lose some part of their innocence. It is difficult for adults to keep a straight head in this glitzy business, imagine what effect it can have on little kids! Parents get caught up in the lure of the lucre and the glamour and the child is the one who misses out on the irresponsible, impulsive childish joys.” Delhi-based psychiatrist Dr Sanjay Chugh says, “A four or a five-year-old child will have little understanding of what is being asked of it and why. The child's mind is not mature enough to comprehend the situation. The clothing, hairdo, make up etc. could excite children in ways that are undesirable. Also, the attention bestowed could be enjoyable. But how this attention is received by the child, how it is handled by parents and what is explained to the child is very important.” He adds that a single event can be passed off without much concern. “But if this becomes a regular part of the child's life, the constant attention the child gets could pose problems, especially if that is the only way the child has learnt to feel important,” he sums up. Guwahati-based psychological counselor Dr Bandana Dutta says, “Whether it is ethically and socially right to use small children as models walking down the ramp is a dicey question. It is not possible to establish a causality between advertising and behaviour. Universal conclusions cannot be drawn about whether this facilitates the children’s growth or is detrimental to it. We cannot establish anything empirically. However, it may be added that shy, introvert and inhibited children can open up with such opportunities and this could lead to good socialisation. It could give them the confidence needed to shape their personality in the future.” But she also puts in a word of caution. “When the children’s popularity vanishes and they find themselves back to the anonymous world, there is a strong possibility that they might suffer from mind blocks, withdrawal or regression.” Ajanta Iyer, Mumbai-based educator of specially challenged children says, “It is not right to make children walk the ramp as they are too young to understand the meaning, demands and after-effects of such shows. Besides, this particular line is not a very safe field of work. As a mother myself, I would never have allowed such exposure for my own child. I think this also applies to children participating in reality shows. They are not capable of handling the pressure and the glamour of these competitions. They are made to make statements using language higher than their age level. Children may grow up too fast without enjoying their childhood.” Young Siddharth Iyer, Senior Programme Executive with an international NGO in Mumbai says, “I disagree completely with the concept of small children being made to parade on a ramp. Though this may look cute, projecting children in this manner is very wrong as such events have a lasting impact on a child’s psyche. When I become a parent, I do not see myself allowing my child to participate in such shows because participation in these exposure-centric and glamorous events rob the kids of their innocence. They mature much before their time when they should actually be enjoying their childhood and it is wrong on the part of organisers in general and parents in particular to expose small children to shows where the glamour and money-earning potentials are very high.” The list of industries drawn by the Child Labour Act and other acts prohibiting employment of children mainly because they are ‘hazardous’ maintains a stoic silence on their working in films, television and modelling. Are these not considered ‘hazardous’? Are ‘hazards’ considered only in physical terms and not in social, ethical, emotional and psychological terms? Think about it.
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