IndexIntroductionBodyConclusionIntroductionThe purpose of this article is to discuss whether or not children should be allowed to participate in pageant competitions; such as talent shows or beauty contests. It is necessary to answer some questions to have a clear vision on this topic: is it beneficial for their growth and health? Is it to their advantage or are they being exploited? There have been some studies and analyzes conducted on this topic that can shed light on the issue. They showed that children may not clearly understand what a competition is, which negates the fact that engaging children in such competitive shows can really teach them the realities of life. Although many believe that competition can improve children's performance in the future, studies have shown that it is most beneficial when combined with teaching cooperation. Parents might say that participating in competing shows is what children themselves want, while children's desires are mostly a reflection of their parents' desires. In a world where competitive entertainment is part of a billion-dollar industry, children should be protected from commercialization and their right to live a normal life should be preserved. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayBodyChildren are the most important resource for our future world and make us all responsible for their well-being. As the title of this article says, this is a discussion about whether or not children should be allowed on competing shows; such as talent shows or beauty contests. To begin with, here are some of the questions that need to be clarified in order to reach a good judgment: Is competition good for children? If yes, under what conditions? What do children learn from these competing shows? Is it helpful to compete in live shows against other kids and sometimes adults? This leads to some other questions; such as: Who really benefits from competing shows? How does loss affect children? How does winning affect them? If some competing shows are good for adults, does that mean they're good for kids too? What follows is an attempt to answer some of these questions. First, is competition good for children? Author and speaker Alfie Kohn, well-known in the parenting field, believes that competition has a negative influence on children. It says: “The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that competition is destructive, particularly, but not exclusively, for children.” He further adds that excellence can be achieved when competition is absent. Many researchers have the same view as Mr. Kohn on this matter and believe that competition can damage self-esteem because of the anxiety it generates. According to psychologist John Wills, these competitive shows encourage a "dog-eat-dog" attitude. Dr Wills, who holds sessions in schools, says talent shows have become the compass for distinguishing between right and wrong for these children of this age. According to Dr James O'Higgins Norman, director of National Anti-Bullying Research at Dublin City University, children are learning that fame can be easily acquired. This quickly acquired fame will likely expire just as quickly without providing these aspiring children with any future careers. One of many examples is Leon Jackson, former sales assistant at Gap before winning the talent show X-Factor in 2007. After his first album, hisrecord label stopped working with him, causing his career to end so early. Beauty pageants and most talent shows give children a superficial idea of ​​what beauty is and what skills are valued. For example, to win beauty pageants, as shown in a CBC documentary, children need more than just natural beauty and even more than costumes and makeup. They may also need to wear wigs or hair extensions, tan or spray tan, and retouch their photos with Photoshop. The message children get from all this is that to be beautiful enough for the pageant and the judges, they need to accentuate their physical appearance. Not only do beauty pageants teach children that winning depends on how others see them, but they also sexualize girls in particular. Lately, beauty pageants increasingly emphasize showing participants as sexy rather than beautiful or cute. Their underdeveloped body is barely covered and many of the routines they perform are provocative. The American Psychological Association states that sexualization of girls can cause them depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and most likely eating disorders, etc. However, the United States has not taken any serious steps towards banning this type of pageants while other countries have done such as France which banned child beauty pageants and imposed some restrictions in 2013. Another reason why this should be taken seriously is that beauty pageants and talent shows are a multi-billion dollar industry. Parents earn money and profit from attracting attention due to their children's fame. This requires some precautions to protect children's rights from showrunners or potential abusive parents. Additionally, as a child becomes a teenager and withdraws from beauty pageants, it is common for them to have personal identity issues. They face a long list of challenges in maintaining a perfect body image. In 2005, a study showed that children who participated in beauty pageants had higher rates of suffering from body image dissatisfaction. On the other hand, education becomes meaningless for these children even during adolescence. Furthermore, they perceive their body as their livelihood and in this case a less than perfect physical appearance means unemployment for them. In 2009, a survey of 3,000 teenage girls showed that nearly a quarter of them prefer to spend their money on their appearance rather than education, and plastic surgery is considered by one in five. A BBC survey found that six in ten girls aged eight to 12 think they would be happier if they lost weight. Furthermore, in most cases, children practice too hard for too long when asked to perform, which puts them under enormous pressure. Some adults who care for these children may ignore their tears and even mock them to get them to practice more. As a result, these children may come to believe that their parents' love or adult approval depends on how well they behave. As Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, said: "Most people love you for who you pretend to be." To maintain their love, you continue to pretend, to perform. You'll end up loving your fiction. It's true, we are closed in an image, in an act." (Morrison, Jim) So what happens when kids don't win? Disappointing others and themselves certainly hits them hard, especially because they participate in public performances and that moment is preserved forever in the media and.