Catherwood LibraryILR School

An investigation by the Los Angeles Times revealed widespread confusion among television producers and state and federal officials over whether children who appear on reality TV shows are protected by child labor statutes. With more and more reality TV shows centering on children, child psychologists and labor advocates are concerned that there are no concrete government safeguards or guidelines to protect the children who appear on such shows as Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" and TLC's "19 Kids and Counting". One crux of the dilemma is whether or not reality TV children can be designated as "performers". Producers argue that the shows are documentary in style, and that kids are merely participants, not employees. Child advocates counter that since many of these shows are staged, with story lines plotted by producers, that the kids who appear on reality TV should be protected by the same laws the government applies to all child workers.