Not all child stars sparkle: To The Point

The debut of the Panda Boys, a new idol group formed by young Chinese boys averagely about 8 years old, has become the target of criticism on Chinese social media, prompting a timely reflection on the young idol culture.

Even though the band's agency Asia Starry Sky Group soon issued a statement in response to the controversy, due to the agency's business nature and the fact that these idols are just ordinary pupils at school, discontented netizens believe the boys will likely be exploited because young idol is another word for "profit" in the current idol industry.

The boys - the youngest 7 years old - may be are gifted in music and dance, they still are too young to be thrown into the complicated entertainment industry.

Child stars are the envy of many. They have money, fame and influence at such a young age.

However, as we've seen it before, a young, adorable child can also go into show business and turns into a troubled teenager and confused adult. Fame and fortune are extremely seductive. Without proper guidance and schooling, it is very easy for a child to go wayward. A child is still a child – popular or not.

Also, childhood is a golden time. It is when children should play, discover and have fun. But all too often, child stars are given too much responsibility too soon. Thus, they don't get the chance to experience and enjoy a normal childhood like other kids.

The irrational worship over celebrities surged to attention following pop star arrest of Kris Wu's on rape charges earlier this month. Chasing and supporting stars not only cost time and money for youngsters, but can also cause misconduct given they are still vulnerable to the capital behind entertainment stars.

The current idols with huge followings are packed all in the same way  – modeling, acting, singing and dancing. Actually, there is no need to follow such superficial standards. We can actually guide our children with more diversified standards of idol. Isn't the Olympic champions who won the hearts of all by their hard work and excellent performance, like the 14-old-diving queen Quan Hongchan, worth admiring?

For children with fame, certainly it is not the younger the better. Hopefully all our kids will have an enjoyable childhood in a more healthy growing environment.

The author is a writer with China Daily. The views are the author's own and don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.