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Essay / Hidden Truth About Child Beauty Pageants world of children's beauty pageants. With the rise of this and other similar shows, the question of whether or not children should participate in competitions has become a popular controversy. Anyone observing for even a few minutes can quickly recognize several red flags, including disappointed parents, screaming children, and fastidious judges. Viewers may wonder: Is it really in the child's best interest to participate in competitions? In order to best protect children in the present and future phases of their lives, children under the age of sixteen should not be allowed to participate in beauty pageants. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe idea of beauty pageants was originally introduced to America in 1854 when Phineas Taylor Barnum used women as a sideshow to his circus. By the 1920s, beauty pageants had become attractions in Atlantic City casinos to determine the most physically attractive woman. It wasn't until the 1960s that children's beauty pageants came into play, but they quickly developed the same characteristics as adult pageants. At first, the children's pageants were popular mainly in the South, but they have now become a national event. Despite their roots in adult beauty pageants, child beauty pageants have become a multi-billion dollar industry in their own right. Today there are over five thousand competitions with around 250,000 children competing each year. With so many competitions, there are divisions that include everyone in the competition: men and women, from newborns to adults. However, girls still make up the majority of participants. Each division competes in several different categories depending on the competition. Some examples of these categories include formal wear, sportswear, talent, and casual wear. Entrants are judged in each separate category and the scores will then be combined into a single overall score. The judges take everything into account in hopes of finding the girl who has it all. They look for facial beauty, overall appearance, personality, hairstyle, makeup and clothing. At the end of the competition, a crowning ceremony is held to announce the winners and distribute the rewards. Although pageantry is a multi-billion dollar industry with thousands of competitors, the pageant circuit is completely unregulated by the government. Children participating in competitions do not benefit from protections like child entertainers. However, they all engage in pretty much the same activities: singing, dancing, modeling, and acting. In both situations, children also succumb to the same obstacles. For example: “Performers and pageant contestants are exploited by parents, coaches and employers/pageant hosts. In both sectors, the adults involved are focused on the prospects of fame and fortune.” Although pageant kids don't necessarily have salaries like those in the entertainment industry, there are still monetary rewards associated with pageants, so they should still be able to enjoy the same protections. If the parents areunable to keep only the interests of the child at heart, it is up to the government to ensure that children are properly cared for. Not only do children in pageants not benefit from government protections, but beauty pageants cost children a lot of money. It would be better to use all the time and resources spent preparing for competitive exams to finance the child's education or other needs. The entry fee just to be able to enter the competition can be over two thousand dollars. Then you also have to take into account other expenses such as travel, hair, makeup, costumes, coaching and singing or dancing lessons. Girls' embellished dresses can cost nearly a thousand dollars, and many pageants require contestants to have different outfits for each category. Parents who pay for pageant coaches can pay hundreds of dollars an hour each time their child practices. Many parents also hire hair and makeup artists to help prepare their child for the stadium. Ultimately, it's easy to see how quickly costs can add up and turn contests into a multi-billion dollar business. Although high costs are a notable problem, the values put forward in competitions raise much more serious concerns. Beauty pageants teach children from a young age to strive for beauty and perfection, two values that most people consider unattainable. By emphasizing these values so early, they become qualities that candidates will emphasize throughout their lives, even after their competitive exams are over. According to Terry Real, these types of competitions can be very confusing for children, because they may wonder if their self-esteem depends on who they are or how good they look. "A 2007 study by the American Psychological Association linked premature emphasis on appearance to 'three of the most common mental health problems among girls and women: eating disorders , low self-esteem and depression'. If everyone always says that no one is perfect, then why create a competition where being perfect is the only option? Since beauty pageants emphasize beauty and perfection, pageants can be physically and mentally detrimental to a child's health. With such high ideals, it can lead participants to develop unhealthy practices in an attempt to achieve these goals. In a study of 131 women who had previously participated in beauty pageants: "48.5% said they wanted to be thinner, 57% said they were trying to lose weight, and 26% had been told or suspected of eating . disorder". In another study, eleven women who had participated in beauty pageants as young girls were each matched with another woman of the same age and body mass index but who had not participated in beauty pageants. Even though contestants were matched with someone with the same body mass index, those competing in the contests considered their current bodies to be larger and wanted their figures to be smaller than those of their competitors. Beauty also reported greater feelings of ineffectiveness and were at higher risk of eating disorders, with these effects lasting into adulthood. Children should not be exposed to or have to consider realities. also hard because they do not have the necessary methods to deal with these feelings With.With such young participants, it is important to consider not only potential health issues, but also the behaviors exhibited during competitions. Those who participate in beauty pageants are forced to act older than their age and are prematurely exposed to sexuality. Contestants are dressed with elaborate hair, makeup, clothing and shoes. However, there is no reason for a baby or young child to wear false eyelashes, hair extensions and heels. When they take the stage, they look more like miniature adults than the children they actually are. In addition, the outfits girls wear encourage premature sexuality between skimpy swimsuits and short dresses or skirts. When performing in front of the judges, the girls were trained to make affectionate movements, such as blowing a kiss, winking or taking off their jacket and throwing it over their shoulders. These actions are completely inappropriate for their age, and the worst part is that parents encourage their children to act this way for complete strangers. In the face of these legitimate concerns, supporters of children participating in child beauty pageants argue that the pageants provide rewards and scholarships for winners that they could spend on their education. These prizes can range from trophies and toys to cars and cash. However, people should consider all expenses associated with participating in pageants, including entry fees, travel, costumes and more. In many cases, the potential rewards aren't even enough to cover all of these upfront costs. It would be more beneficial for families to not participate in competitions and reallocate these funds to their children's education. In addition to emphasizing the possibility of obtaining money, proponents justify pageantry by arguing that beauty pageants encourage competition and winning, which more positively resembles beauty pageants. watched sporting events. However, this comparison is unfair. In pageants, a child is judged almost exclusively on their appearance. If contestants don't have the outfit, hair, makeup, or body type needed to live up to the judges' standards, no amount of practice can save them. In contrast, athletic results are determined by the individual's skill level, which is influenced by their dedication to practice and hard work. This allows participants to control their own results in the world of sports. Despite the fact that sports and competitions are not created equal, many parents also claim that their child insisted on participating in competitions and enjoys doing them. While this is certainly true in some cases, it does not apply to all. For example, a child who started competing as a newborn could not have said he wanted to start competing. Additionally, even if toddlers or young children said they wanted to participate in pageants, they would not have been able to understand and understand everything that goes into the pageant lifestyle. weigh the positive and negative effects. At such a young age, children are simply incapable of making a rational decision for themselves. According to the judges, it is obvious to them that a child is being forced to perform and does not want to be there. Therefore, it is more likely that it is parents who want their children to participate in beauty pageants. Perhaps the reason why parents encourage their children to enter the world of pageants is because those who are in favor of children participating in beauty pageants claim that participating.. 291-301.
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