Challenges Faced by Child Actors in Hengdian
Recently, there has been a surge in the number of parents taking their children to Hengdian, hoping to kickstart their acting careers in film and television. However, the reality for these “child drifters” is far from glamorous.
Hengdian has become a hub for aspiring child actors, with over 6,000 individuals, including 230 underage entertainers, vying for opportunities in the film and TV industry in 2022. With such fierce competition, the pursuit of stardom has evolved into a capital-intensive game, making it a risky investment with minimal returns.
Exploitative Practices
Many children’s agency companies in Hengdian operate on a tiered payment model, offering guarantees of acting opportunities based on the amount of money paid. This exploitative practice puts financial strain on families and offers no guarantee of success. Additionally, the impact on a child’s education cannot be overlooked, with the Compulsory Education Law being disregarded in pursuit of their acting dreams.
Risks and Concerns
There are significant concerns about the welfare of child drifters, as they face an uncertain future in an industry where success is elusive. The lack of stability and educational disruption can have lifelong consequences, raising questions about the ethical implications of subjecting children to such precarious circumstances.
Social Responsibility
It is imperative for both parents and society to consider the risks involved in child drifting. While parents may have genuine intentions to support their children’s aspirations, it is essential to navigate the path with caution and ensure compliance with educational regulations. Moreover, there is a need for regulatory oversight to protect the rights of minors and prevent exploitative practices within the industry.
Ultimately, the pursuit of stardom in Hengdian comes with significant challenges and uncertainties. It is vital for families to assess the risks carefully and for society to take proactive measures to safeguard the well-being of child actors, making the journey less perilous for those pursuing their dreams. (Yizhi)
Original title: Going to Hengdian to be a “child drifter” is a risky investment with an extremely low rate of return.
According to media reports, many parents are now taking their children to work as “child floaters” in Hengdian, looking for opportunities to star in film and television dramas. The life of “child drifters” is also very bitter. “100 people are fighting for one seat”, “earn 250 yuan in 4 months”, and “pay a large amount of money to join the group” is the norm for many “child drifters”.
According to media statistics, among the movies, online dramas, TV series and other film and TV cultural works filmed in Hengdian in 2022, 230 underage entertainers will participate, with more than 6,000 people taking part part. This number is not small, and this is also the reason why “child drifting” exists – Hengdian provides opportunities to act and become famous.
Of course, with the influx of children and their families from all walks of life who have dreams, “drifting children” is quickly becoming an involution. The “kid drifting” industry can no longer be said to be a pure dream-chasing story, but it has evolved into a strange capital game.
“With 20,000 yuan for 1 year, you are guaranteed to be in at least 3 dramas within a year, and you can appear as a special actor, etc. With 50,000 for 3 years, you are guaranteed to be in at least 8 dramas within 3 years, and you can be in special actors and roles, etc.” This is what Hengdian reported in the media The charging models of many children’s agency companies are divided into different levels of “members” based on the amount of payment, and then allocate corresponding resources. Obviously, for families who lack an economic base, “child drifting” is already very cruel, and the return rate is extremely low.
Another problem with “child drifting” is that children are the main subjects of chasing dreams. If they are in an unstable situation, what about education?
The Compulsory Education Law states that parents or other legal guardians of school-age children and teenagers must ensure that they go to school on time, receive and complete compulsory education in accordance with the law. If parents let their children leave school early for the dream of being a child star, it is already suspected of breaking the law. Even if a child successfully completes compulsory education, the basic education is too weak and the effect can be lifelong. The cost of “child drift” is too huge.
Therefore, parents should have a more rational and comprehensive assessment of a child’s drift risks. After all, there is huge uncertainty in “what you do is what you want” Is it wise for a family to risk everything for an opportunity with very low probability?
Furthermore, children do not yet have a full capacity for civil behavior, and they do not really have a complete and clear understanding of the nature of their own behavior. Many children like to act, but have no awareness of “sunk costs” – once their acting career is blocked, how can children return to their regular growth path? Children are ignorant of this, and parents who are flawed are undoubtedly irresponsible.
Of course, public opinion is not needed to criticize “child drifters” and their families too much. Some common criticisms on the Internet, such as “using children as money-making tools” and “parents dreaming of getting rich”, are not necessarily correct. It can be seen from the interviews that all many parents want to do is try their best to help their children achieve their dreams because their children want to act. They are not necessarily profit driven parents. This is essentially the same as asking their children to “attend a prestigious school” They have both chosen a very involuntary path with uncertain prospects.
Although parents are advised to be careful, society should also intervene. For example, whether those entertainment agencies are formal or not should really attract the attention of relevant departments. Some parents said that “bringing money to join the group” was suspected of being cheated. After paying the money, not only did they have nothing to do, but they were “listed black” also by the person in question. For these, the market surveillance department should follow relevant clues to investigate whether there are any violations of laws and regulations.
A red line that cannot be blurred is: no matter what growth path a family chooses for their children, education must be implemented compulsorily.
In any case, Hengdian’s “Tong Piao” bitterness is, after all, fickle. The journey of chasing dreams is of course full of hardships, but this path does not seem to fit a simple narrative of children’s growth. In view of this, parents need to consider carefully whether “child drifting” is suitable for their family situations; and clearly society should work hard to eliminate the risks and dangers involved, protect the rights of minors, and at least allow “children drifting”. ” to be on the road Less dangerous. (Yizhi)
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