Desire for attention

Another potential problem is that the young participants often become demanding and attention-seeking after being showered with compliments because they have been on TV.

"Some of the children become so accustomed to the camera that they need affirmation," Liu, the education professor, said. "The camera will no longer be there to shine a light on them, even though that light was never authentic, so they are going to seek other ways of gaining fulfillment."

Tian Liang, the former diver who is now an actor, admitted that the exposure his daughter gained by being on Dad, Where Are We Going? had affected her and complained that she now prefers taking part in publicity activities to going to school.

Liu said that despite their name, reality shows don't actually show life as it really is. "Reality TV has a good purpose - to show loving families - and that can be a good thing for children, but we didn't see any benefits for the kids who participated because the shows are scripted and every incident is carefully planned."

He suggested that the new regulations might be a good way of cooling the passions of some parents who take their children to acting classes so they can appear on television and become famous.

Zhuang Yuxin, a deputy professor at the Beijing Film Academy, said short-term fame does not help pave the way if children want to work in the performing arts or entertainment industry. Rather than imposing a "one-policy-fits-all" ban on reality shows, the policymakers should have designed the guidelines to ensure that children are fully protected irrespective of where they work in the entertainment industry.

"It doesn't make sense to completely ban children from appearing on TV, but we do need some guidance to make sure that they are also protected if they appear in other types of entertainment programs and in movies," he said.

"That will be another issue on the protection of child labor, and it seems that there are very few good experiences in other countries we can learn from," he added.

"Until more specific rules are released, everything - including whether and when to step into the entertainment industry - is up to the parents. They should shoulder their parental responsibilities when their kids are exposed to the camera," he said.

Contact the writer at wangyanfei@chinadaily.com.cn

Early fame: A blessing or a curse?

In 2014, Shi Ningjie participated in Deformation Plan, a reality TV show where urban and rural children swap places. As far as he is concerned, neither his personality nor lifestyle changed when he became a celebrity.

In the eyes of the show's producers, the 18-year-old was the perfect participant, the sort of person they had been searching for; a non-conformist. Shi has led a life of privilege - he was born into a wealthy family in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province - but he dropped out of school at 15, and took up smoking and going to nightclubs, even though he was under age.

He was offered the chance to swap roles with Wang Honglin, an 11-year-old girl, who has lived with her grandparents in Shaanxi province since her parents divorced. When the program ended, Wang returned to her isolated village and obscurity.

In 2008, Shi told his mother that he saw no reason to go to school because he planned to become famous, so he was ecstatic when the producers chose him for the show.

Under instruction, he completed a number of tasks, including chopping firewood and visiting people disabled in mining accidents in Baxian, a village in Ankang city, Shaanxi, whose injuries mean they are unable to make a living.

Although Shi did actually become famous as a result of appearing on the program - the number of followers on his micro blog soared to 100,000 - he kept his old lifestyle and little changed. When the program ended, Shi enrolled at a music high school in Beijing, but dropped out a year later. He has been unemployed since then.

"I felt I was a little more mature, but I didn't see too many other differences. I think it's the same for the other participants on the show," he said.

 

Zhang Yuexuan, an 8yearold reality TV star, lies in the arms of his father, model and actor Zhang Liang, during a publicity event in Beijing on Dec 24, 2013. Provided To China Daily And Jiang Dong / China Daily