Why Do Children Should Not Be Participate In Pageants

Kathleen Sablan
David Tsugawa
English 100
31 October 2014

Children should not be Participate in Pageants A big controversy around the world on whether or not child pageants are good or harmful psychologically and developmentally to children that participate in pageants. We witness young children, mainly young girls, dressing provocatively while they pose and dance inappropriately on TLC’s hit television series Toddlers and Tiara’s. We watch young girls that wear too much make-up, fake eyelashes, fake teeth and hair extensions to compete for a crown. Children are judged based on beauty, how well they perform, and how confident they are on stage. Which judges call, "the complete package"(Cartwright). These sort of activities over emphasize the physical appearance of young children and may lead to psychological
effects later on in life. Experts would agree that children who participate in activities that prime factor physical beauty can influence teen and adult self-esteem, body image and self-worth.
Too much expectations to be skinny, beautiful, and flawless are the main reasons why some women develop eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction (Cartwright). Even women who leave the pageant world have developed self-identity issues and some psychological issues from being involved with pageants in the first place. Dressing young girls as if they are much older and over-sexualizing them in pageants can lead to long-term negative psychological effects (Carwright).
Pro-pageants may argue that participating in pageants can be a great experience and lead to a successful career. Pageants teach children confidence and good social skills at an early age which could benefit them in the future. The key is to provide balance in their lives with school as well as other activities. The feeling of unconditional love and support from a parent could also help children succeed in this industry. Parents who push their child too much and expect too much from them could affect them
psychologically. Child pageant is competitive, demanding and stressful to both the children involved and their parents. Children are under huge pressure to perform perfectly and on point. As result, child contestants may believe that their parents love or approval are based on how beautiful they are and how well they perform on stage (Cartwright). Parents need to be aware of the potential long-term influence competitive, beauty-based competitions can have on a little girls psychologically. Participation in activities that focuses on appearances implants the idea that beauty is the key to success, which makes the feel that their beauty is based on how much they are worth (Lindsey).
Toddlers & Tiaras rekindled the speculation that child beauty pageants are too revealing and over-sexualized. Even with the anti-pageant position, televised pageants still has millions of viewers each year. But, with millions of viewers how many of them are pedophiles who find pleasure in watching little girls dress with very little clothing on and dance sexually on stage. There is a danger in letting little girls dress like adult strippers and strutting their “stuff” on stage. We saw how much danger a child’s life could be on December 25 1996, when JonBenet Ramsey, a six year old pageant participant, was sexually assaulted and murdered in her own home. People believed that it was because of her involvement with the pageant world that lead to her horrific death.
Ultimately, child beauty pageants could cause major psychological effects to young girls in the long run, and are more harmful than beneficial. Child beauty pageants destroy these girls’ innocence and force them to grow up quick believing that their worth is based on their beauty (Lindsey). We should instill in the younger generation that beauty is not based on how much make-up you wear but on how beautiful you look without make up. Natural beauty is key to confidence and high self-esteem.