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High heels — check, fishnet stockings — check, thigh high slit dress — check, chandelier earrings — check, lipstick and nail polish — check...couple it with an attitude the size of a diva and you have — not a supermodel, but a pre-teen vying to be an adult. Tune in to any channel and you have girls as young as three swaying to suggestive dance numbers in outfits that would put a cabaret queen to shame. The winner on the pedestal is actually a loser, and at stake is childhood. Boogie Woogie, India's oldest dance reality show, has been one of the few shows where the hosts have actively discouraged participants from performing dance numbers with overtly sexual gyrations and thrusts. Ravi Behl, actor, host and co-producer of Boogie Woogie, says, "Most of the times it is the parents and the choreographers who are over-ambitious. Parents of a child, who is talented but has performed a dance routine on a suggestive song, are briefed regarding the outfits and dance moves to maintain the decorum of the show even during the selection process. At such an impressionable age, such exposure needs to be checked and we have always been very vocal about it." A report by the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on the Sexualisation of Girls, published in 2007, has pointed out several negative consequences for girls exposed to sexualised images, including high levels of dissatisfaction with their own body, depression, low self esteem and the belief that physical beauty and achievement, as opposed to academic, personality or extracurricular achievements, is all important. Television, movies and fashion shows, for parents nowadays, are the ultimate platform to showcase their child's talent. So irresistible is the charm that parents are known to feed toddlers half a dozen cups of coffee to keep them from sleeping. Parents of kids in showbiz, of course, deny any wrongdoing but agree that there may be many parents who overdo it. Roopi Maan from Mohali is the mother of an eight-year-old who was a finalist in India's Best Dramebaaz. Roopi comes from a theatre background. She says that it was her daughter's wish to act like her mom that led them to nurture her talent. Emphasising the importance of parental control, she says, "It is the duty of a parent to assess the age appropriateness of any role that the child is undertaking and consent only after serious deliberation. As long as she enjoys it, and we feel it is permissible, she is free to pursue it." Zee TV Programming Head, Namit Sharma, based in Mumbai, says, "Contests provide opportunities and platform to those who would, otherwise, be delegated to the margins of society, and can turn around the fortunes of not just kids but families. As a family entertainment channel, we exercise extreme caution to avoid indecent content and ensure utmost well-being of the children below 12 years at all times." Media plays a big role in what is perceived as right and children are very vulnerable to such images. "Couple parental aspirations with the media explosion and you can understand why the whole idea of childhood, not just dressing up, is changing. Fashion shows and reality shows mostly focus on appearance and dressing up and give rise to body image problems. Intrinsic values such as integrity, character, honesty and other such things are considered frivolous. To be accepted is the biggest challenge and those who do not fit in are bullied and can develop self-esteem issues." says Sanjana Saraf, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist at Max Healthcare in Saketwho has worked with adolescents. With immense pressure to have a certain body type and wear certain kind of clothes, girls as young as six have feather boas and heels in their wardrobes. But they beg to differ; they feel that they are not turning into mini adults rather it is the generation gap. A 12-year-old from an elite school in Chandigarh says, "I have heard my mother talk to her friends about the times when they would fold their skirts in school to make these shorter. If that was them having childhood fun, why does she react so badly when I want to wax my legs or even wear make-up for a friend's birthday." Parents themselves are caught in a conundrum; to give liberty or to restrain. It is the lack of good role models that makes kids want to ape fashion icons and movie stars, and parents to encourage them, feels Dr Preeti Arun, Professor at GMCH, Department of Psychiatry, Chandigarh. She says that it is difficult to emulate the example of say, a Bachendri Pal, as compared to a celebrity dancer or a filmstar, and parents, in trying to live their fantasies and aspirations through their kids, encourage them to pick the quickest path to fame. All this takes an emotional and psychological toll on the child and some effects such as those of wearing high heels and makeup at a tender age are physically evident." But are children so young really prepared to take on the challenges of an adult; not just dressing and mouthing adult dialogues but also behaving with surprising maturity? At a time when the French senate has approved a Bill that seeks to ban child beauty pageants that promote "hyper-sexualisation" of minors with a provision for jail time and a fine for violators, including parents and organisers, who sponsor or encourage such compétitions for anyone under 16 years, there is hardly any talk of the effects of such pageants and competitions in India. It is time parents and organisers opt for self-restraint and the government enforces stricter legislation to ensure no child misses out on these wonderful, carefree years.
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