Vote for me……? Poor Kids!

(This article is reposted in its original version as posted a few months back. It had disappeared from my iland.)

Recently released movie “Tare Zameen Par” is a wonderful movie. A movie so beautifully made, it makes you cry but still you come out not feeling heavy but pondering and somewhere trying to check yourself. That is the power of media. It has touched the hearts of millions of people in every role. Parents, teachers and children everybody has big learning lesson in it.

Now, during the same period, another strong media television is showing so many reality shows and these TRP oriented shows have also converted one time decent, simple, feel good singing competition into dirty game of vote politics. One feels bad when this is extended to innocent kids, these talented kids who perform so beautifully and then over a period of few episodes appear to loose their innocence through their makeovers while asking for the votes. Not only that they also learn how to impress people through their talks (of course, parents are responsible for that). The way they speak, it just doesn’t suit their age. It is so evident that they are being taught so.

On the other hand for emotional kids things are even worst. They are suddenly exposed to huge popularity, glamour which takes them to another dream world and if this voting game doesn’t go in their favour, they just break down as it is they are already under the pressure of competition, performance, parental pressure. Which child will feel good to see his or her parents crying on TV when they lose? Somewhere they hold themselves responsible failing their parents.

Recently, while watching one such show I was shocked to see that one father spent around Rs one lac just to vote for his child through different phones and through net. Another father suffered a heart attack because his kid was eliminated and seeing that another contestant refused to perform fearing any such thing happening to her dad. And when the kids are going through emotional turmoil, their crying faces are telecast with sad tunes in the background. It is disgusting.

The saddest part is that parents also get involved in this game and they pick up fights over judgements or voting results. Are they trying to live their dreams through their li’l kids? Why don’t they realize that at the end of the day it is business for the channels and the telecom companies?

Such competition will be so graceful if kids come, perform and learn a lot and go back home whether they win or lose. They are so lucky that they are born in such an era where they are getting such a huge platform to showcase their talent and such great singers as judges and such an opportunity to learn from them!

Parents should realize that these contestants are their little children who have yet to bloom and a long way to go. So please encourage them with love. Do not push them into this “Please vote me…if you like me…” tactics.

Of course the root cause is the format of such programs so I think people concerned should take a note of it and make sure that they bring the required changes in the format which should be child friendly.