Child Modeling in Summer Vacation: Learning process more important than final result

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03:25

It's summer vacation in China. Some children are going on a trip, while others are busy studying and training. One field is modeling -- something now very popular in China. But not everyone thinks this a good thing, as many parents and experts worry that so much exposure at a young age may have a negative effect on these children. CGTN's Wu Lei has more.

For 6-year-old Li Zimeng, summer vacation is actually much busier, as she gets more chances to participate in runway shows and photoshoots. After finishing a national child modeling contest on Friday morning, she was on the runway with other child models for a local cloth brand that night.

LI ZIMENG CHILD MODEL "About two years ago, when I first had modelling training, I wasn't happy, so I told my mum this training was boring. But two years later, my performance is much better and I find it very interesting."

Zhang Wenbo is Li Zimeng's mother. She says after the two years of training and practice, her daughter is much more confident. But as the children move on to primary school, some parents of child models are concerned about the industry's possible negative impacts.

ZHANG WENBO LI ZIMENG'S MOTHER "In kindergarten, children have more time to take part in the shows and photo shoots. But when they go to primary school, many parents want their children to stop modeling and put more weekend time into academic training. I don't agree. I will still let my daughter follow her own interests."

Summer vacation is also very busy for this baby model training center, as a growing number of parents send their children here to receive professional training during that time. They also host a lot of contests and shows during this season.

PAN LIQUN CHILD MODEL TRAINER "The training period is not fixed. The shortest is about 3 months, while the longest can be up to 6 years. It depends on the family's financial situation and the interests of the children."

Some parents say modelling might be a good way for their children to escape the pressures of academic studies for a while, as long as they enjoy the process.

WU LEI ZHEJIANG "Modeling is a serious profession, but for children, it's becoming an increasingly popular way to cultivate and improve their personality. But experts say parents should pay more attention to their children's learning process, rather than the results of modeling competitions."

HE JIE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT, ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY "From a psychological perspective, we've done research into children's personalities. We found after participating in many model contests and shows, the child might become overconfident and vain. They may put too much emphasis on external traits rather than internal ones."

Some parents and experts are also worried it might be too early for these young models to dress like adults, and that they'll learn to achieve a goal through fake behavior that pleases others. Parents and their children are encouraged to think twice before joining the modelling industry. Wu Lei, CGTN, Zhejiang Province.