Regulations
Despite the outcry, parents have the law on their side. Child labor regulations state that people younger than 16 are allowed to work in the arts and entertainment industry as long as they have their parents' permission.
Li Haiyun, an associate professor of education at Shanxi Normal University in Linfen, Shanxi province, told The Paper that using children as models is not considered an abuse if the child's health is respected and guaranteed and their parents provide positive moral guidance.
Reports claim that some parents force their children to work overtime and use them to make a fortune, which deprives them of an innocent childhood. However, many parents say they simply want to give their child a good training for work and boost their self-esteem.
For example, Zheng Xu said he allowed his 5-year-old daughter to do modeling work for Taobao because he wanted to improve her confidence.
"She is too shy, so interacting with photographers she doesn't know may help her to make progress. Being a model can also help her develop good deportment. She's so young that she knows nothing about this work. Sometimes she is uncooperative and says she feels happier in the kindergarten, but I have to apply some pressure to train her and make her elegant," he said.
"I won't give her too much work or send her to too many modeling classes. It depends on her preferences, after all."
Another parent, who only gave her surname as Wang, said she wanted her 3-year-old girl to understand the rules of the game and realize that working is not always easy.
"Her work usually lasts an hour, during which she may wear about eight outfits. Although she complains of being tired, I need to ensure that she knows she will only get what she wants by hard work," she said.
"By making money, she can feel a sense of honor and improve her selfconfidence. She can manage her wages by herself, and I won't meddle at all."
