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Let go off the pearls you're clutching for the moment and consider some of these points. This topic has bugged me for a MINUTE and though I've discussed it on discord before it was due a deep dive because I'm sick of people projecting their fears onto kids whose dreams and aspirations are just as valid as an adults because newsflash, exploitation doesn't magically stop as an adult either so ... should they not work todays the careers they wish for?

This reminds me of conservatives only caring about foetuses or embryo's but then not giving a shit once the child is here. You either care about exploitation all the way round or you're trying to be controlling but guising it as control cos the adults aren't fairing much better.

Possibly there's envy for the fact that younger kids have an opportunity to learn and train in a way that is not easily accessible.

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Candice Blair

During "R U next," omg, it was so rough. I was voting for Iroha, and people were pushing for another line-up and calling people names if they had Iroha or any minor in their list. Meanwhile, she was always high in voting. She was the opposite of Ni-ki when it came to voting. XD The thing is, it's not guaranteed when a company will debut another group. Iroha left JYPE because JYPE created NiziU and Nmixx after she missed those two chances. Of course, she moved and went to Belift to be on R U Next. The vitrol Wonhee got when it was supposedly about protecting "minors" made me laugh. People don't care about minors like they say they do unless it's a group they like.

bateman bookworm

This baffles me bc is there not so many minors in sports? They spend their whole lives training to play in front of millions, even billions of people. Idols getting exploited is another topic, and you can be passionate about that. But I never understood the mass panic about minors debuting. I think it shows that a lot of kpop fans don’t see idols as musicians or performers because young musicians is nothing new.

J D

If you have the drive and TALENT to debut, why should you waste years you could be earning money doing what you love when the alternative is the Korean education system? Korean students spend on average 12 hours a day studying in a hypercompetitive, high stress, high pressure environment. What's the point of going through that if their career aspirations don't include university and a 9-5?

Koko3op

It's faux morality fr !!

Mocha Milli

As a card carrying socialist, yes I don’t like any kind of exploitation. Children much more than adults do not have full autonomy over their personhood. At least in the American entertainment industry we have seen time and time again the exploitation of children from their parents and other adults in their life. In many ways children are just not citizens. Therefore their interest not fully represented. Parents can and have been not representative of a kid’s interest rather just as a mechanism for their own greed. I do not claim to know how the kpop industry works nor the American one, I just see patterns. The only thing you are offered as an adult is personhood. To determine your interest in whatever way possible. But even that has limits and worse that doesn’t mean you can’t be exploited. This is why unions are so essential in representing the interest of the worker. There isn’t a special age where exploitation stops. What’s worse is that the music isn’t the product. Their performance isn’t the product: the person is the product. In all entertainment industries the person is product look at Chappell Roan as an example of it. And I believe it is necessary for all people to have a representation of their labor, to have a union. Idk this is my perspective as a card carrying socialist not a Marxist-Leninist. For me this is about agency, it’s about autonomy over who you are and yourself as a product. I just think children are afforded less in that department globally.

Koko3op

Agreed and that's my issue lol. It shouldn't take a way a childs dreams especially if they have the drive and talent to back it up. It's about giving the children the tools to navigate the industry they're about to enter

LeeLi_007

Thank you for sharing your opinions on this and I see where you're coming from. I don't think there's a problem with younger kids starting out in the industry so long as there are adults around to support them as it should be in any industry for kids which includes acting, dancing, football, basketball & education. My friend had an eating disorder and suffered from severe panic attacks throughout school due to the pressure that it put on her to achieve high grades. She studied literally all day and no one ever said that was a bad thing. Obviously that's not a good environment either. And it's not a good environment for adults. If you get what I mean? I think almost all working industries need to be revised to allow more mental health support for children and adults. This problem of these pressured and sometimes (not always) toxic environments is in no way unique to kpop or just kids. I think there should be more room also to allow kids to follow their passions from a younger age, not just in entertainment but in academic pursuits or jobs like retail & cooking etc. as well. The only reason I like to see adults who are in their late 20's or early 30's debuting too is because I also don't agree with so many industries casting people, especially women, aside as being too old because they're not 15, 18 or 21. We should have more support for everyone in all industries and should never hold age against someone whether that be young or old. everyone just needs more support right?

Koko3op

All of this! And that's a great point regarding ageism.

Janaeneighnay

Your advice at the beginning was great. I remember when I used to take Twitter seriously. Doomsdaying and all. Horrible time lol.

Janaeneighnay

Yeah I've taken to rolling my eyes anytime someone's like "I can't believe they're letting ____ A MINOR MIND YOU, wear/do that." And it's just a girl in shorts rocking side to side or moving her hips in a circle. They'd hate to the majorette girls. And yeah, these people wanting to bar children from ever debuting are a bit ridiculous. I agree with every single example you gave.

SorryIForgot

I always compare it to child acting in the west. Got kicked from a group online for saying “if you watched stranger things and loved it you’re a hypocrite”