Teen idol Wang Junkai turns new chapter in life

Wang Junkai, Chinese boy band TFBoys' oldest member, cuts his 18th birthday cake in a recent celebration event with fans. [Photo by Yan Dongjie/China Daily]

TFBoys, one of the most popular bands in China, had its debut in 2013 when Wang was 14 and the other two members, Wang Yuan and Yi Yangqianxi, were 13. The boys, with good looks that complemented their singing and dancing aspirations, quickly struck a chord with audiences.

The band now boasts more than 20 million fans, according to its contract agency, Time Fengjun Entertainment.

TFBoys has also proved to be popular with many parents in China.

Tian Ye, whose teenage daughter is a fan of the band, says her girl follows its singing and dancing closely but "also studies hard and tries her best in everything that she does. She says 'if my idol can do it, I can do it', so, why not let her be?"

Wang Junkai is well aware of his influence on the public. "You are a positive influence on people. They know that if this teenager can do things well, so can others. I am bringing this energy to the public and that's one of my main responsibilities."

"Some people might question whether it is worth spending so much time on these celebrities and wonder if it might be better to focus on the activities, like charity work," says Jiang Mengnan, 23, who is pursuing a master's degree with a United Nations program.

"But being their fan for more than two years, I have learned a lot from these boys. It is not only about being hardworking and remaining humble, I also care more about the charities they are helping out and the issues they are concerned about, including education, environment and poverty alleviation."

The positive influence of celebrities such as Wang and his bandmates on fans and society is also becoming more obvious and widespread.

"Normally the idols of popular culture are expected to act as role models for the younger generation, but it isn't fair to lay the burden of moral education barely on their shoulders, given the fact that they're mostly adolescents themselves," says Chang Jiang, associate professor with the Journalism and Communication School of Tsinghua University.

"If the idols have good personalities, are fond of philanthropy or are vocal on public interest issues, it would be perfect. But again, that's our expectation. It's not their duty to do so."