As a child, being on the big screen might have seemed glamorous and amazing, but in reality, there was a darker side to it that we never knew about. Â
Child stars have been prevalent in the entertainment industry for decades, with known figures like Shirley Temple, Drew Barrymore, Raven-SymonĂ©, and Macaulay Culkin. While all of these actors’ talent is often highlighted, it took a while for the negativity to come out.  Â
When a child enters the public view, their sense of privacy is essentially gone. Oftentimes, they no longer attend school in order to focus on their work more and lose out on the fundamental developments that happen in schools and with other children. Paparazzi often follow them around, and they no longer have control over themselves once they become a product that adults can profit from. Â
Another concern when it comes to child actors is the sexualization of them at a young age. A good example of this is the 1978 film “Pretty Baby” starring the then thirteen-year-old Brooke Shields as twelve-year-old Violet, who lived in a brothel that her mother worked in. The film is rated R due to the multiple nudity and intimate scenes, including minor Brooke Shields and other actors. Creating a film like this might question the morality of child actors, especially in the sense of inappropriate films.   Â
Once someone becomes famous, the media is often quick to label them, and oftentimes that label sticks with them for a while. Even as these stars get older, the labels can still negatively affect how they view themselves as people. Being in the spotlight for so many years at a young age can also cause the issue of wanting to look “perfect” all the time, which in turn can cause body image issues down the line. Â
On the other hand, there’s a parental issue in all of this. A big aspect of it is parents managing their children’s money or relying solely on that child for income and not working for themselves. An example of this would be Dylan and Cole Sprouse, acting twins who rose to popularity on the Disney Channel original series “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” after being in the industry for a while. In 2023, Cole Sprouse went on a podcast, opening about how he and Dylan were forced into child acting to help pay bills. It was also revealed there that their mother had practically spent all their earnings by the age of ten. Â
With the uprising of social media in the 2000s and 2010s, another layer of fame and closeness to celebrities could be added. When posting things like where you had dinner or a local park you went to can lead to fans stalking celebrities via their social media pages. Or on the opposite end, it can cause an onslaught of cyberbullying child stars occasionally by adults on the internet. Â
But not every child star had bad things happening behind the scenes; there are a few child stars like Zendaya, Dakota, Elle Fanning, Hilary Duff, and a few more. When it comes to stars listed before, their parents had their safety in mind instead of seeing their child as a lottery ticket into more money. It’s important that when allowing children into such industries, like protecting the children from the media, sexualization, and potential abuse. For example, in September 2024 child star Demi Lovato worked alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign a piece of legislation to help ensure minors who perform content are protected from financial abuse. Being a child actor isn’t bad, but the crimes committed against them are.