No model parents: When it's money, kids just can't be kids
Child models practice with books on their heads at a modeling school in Beijing.
Manicured children strut down the catwalk at a Beijing fashion show, one of thousands of events driving huge demand for child models in China that insiders warn leaves minors vulnerable to physical abuse, 12-hour days and unrelenting pressure from pushy parents.
The kids’ apparel market is growing faster than any other clothing sector and was worth more than US$40.5 billion in 2018.
This, combined with the rise of “kidfluencers” sponsored by brands to promote products on social media, is spurring greater demand for young models — but experts warn of the heavy cost.
“If children don’t listen to the parents then I think hitting them is quite standard,” said Lee Ku, founder of Le Show Stars modeling school.
A video of a mother kicking her 3-year-old daughter in fury at her failure to comply during a modeling job went viral earlier this year, causing outrage online.
And footage of a young boy modeling thick winter clothes outside as temperatures soared to 37 degrees Celsius also drew heavy online criticism.
But in an industry where minors can earn 10,000 yuan (US$1,450) a session, Lee says the clip is the tip of the iceberg and that from his experience, such violent behavior from parents was not unusual.
Child models sometimes go through more than 100 outfit changes in a session, often working from morning till night. But mental health experts warn it is not just physical exhaustion they have to contend with: There may be long term emotional implications.
“Children from the age of 0 to 6 are mentally developing, they need a lot of exploration and freedom,” explained child psychologist Gong Xueping.
“At work, the child model will deliberately show a lot of different expressions ... but this is contrary to the child’s own feelings. This limits the development of both emotional abilities and more complex psychological abilities ... it’s a very bad choice.”
