Child Actors - Tumblr Posts
Idk if it can be considered as fandom stuff, but I really want to know:
Why children acting in films isn't discussed as something wrong to do?
Like, if it's important to fight to end child labor, why almost no one bats an eye on it?
I can assure you plenty of people bat an eye at it.
While discussions about things like child labor laws and protections in regards to underage performers may seem drowned out by subjects like the SAAG strikes and the crew-company strikes and rights actions right now, child labor laws and protections for underage performers is still very much a prominent topic in the industry, especially as more and more past-child-actors come forward with their stories.
While we are far from a perfect state regarding the protection of child actors and their obligations and abilities within the industry, we have also seen several improvements and changes. Restrictive changes to how many hours they can work within a certain timeframe, changes to how they are represented and advocated for and changes to conflicts between performing and education are all things we have seen in the last decade.
Backstage.com - Child Actor Laws NNCEE - British Child Performer License Library of Congress Blogs - A History of Child Actor Laws
I don't view children being employed as actors as inherently a "wrong thing to do." However I absolutely and firmly acknowledge that child acting is a fucking minefield of exploitation and expectations. We are absolutely nowhere near a point where we can say that the majority of our activism for child actors has been fulfilled.
Often, expectations for child actors fall victim to the same pressure and demands of the entire Hollywood industry; churning out content as fast as possible on minimum cost. Crews are pushed to work 90 hour weeks, actors are pushed to work 14+ hour shifts, deadlines are made as tight as possible. The issues many child actors face are not necessarily exclusive to underage performers; they are broader issues faced by employees and workers within the industry as a whole.
There are still many groups and individuals campaigning for better protections and quality of treatment and advocacy regarding children in the film and performance industries, however. And like with any cause there are always ways you can support them to help further the cause. I suggest looking up the child performer laws in your area and seeing where you can lend aid.