When children are turned into Social Media Content
Mohammad Nadeem
In today’s era of digital influence, many schools have gradually transformed from institutions of learning into stages for social media display. What once used to be a sacred space for nurturing intellect, character, and values is now witnessing a troubling trend: using children as content for online popularity.
This shift is not only unfortunate—it is dangerous. More disturbing is the deliberate and systematic selection of only “beautiful” or fair-skinned students for these videos, while others are silently sidelined. If this is not racism, discrimination, and classism, then what exactly do we call it?
The Silent Discrimination Behind the Camera
Across many institutions, especially private schools, one pattern has become painfully clear: Only a certain “type” of child is chosen to stand in front of the camera.
A child with fair skin, a photogenic face, or features that fit into the society’s superficial standards of beauty is placed in every video, reel, or promotional clip. Meanwhile, children who do not match these preferred standards—darker skin, different features, less “camera-friendly”—are conveniently ignored.
This practice may seem small or harmless to those running these pages, but to a child, it can leave a wound that lasts for years. The unspoken message these children receive is:
“You are not beautiful enough. You are not good enough. You do not deserve to be seen.” Nothing could be more damaging to a young mind.
Where Are the Boys? A Gendered Bias
Another irony in this new content culture is the visible absence of boys. Schools that routinely upload videos feature mostly girls—dressed, decorated, and directed as though they are actors, not students. The boys, on the other hand, remain missing, unrepresented, and unacknowledged.
Why this imbalance?
Is it because videos featuring girls attract more attention?
Is it because administrators feel girls “look better” on camera?
Or is it because these institutions are consciously or subconsciously reinforcing an unhealthy obsession with feminine appearance?
Whatever the reason, the outcome is the same: a dangerous normalization of selective visibility, gender bias, and the objectification of young girls.
The Psychological Aftermath
Parents, teachers, and school authorities often underestimate the impact that such practices have on a child’s emotional health. But research across the world is clear:
Children who are either excessively praised for their appearance or repeatedly ignored because of it develop long-term self-esteem issues.
The child chosen for every video may grow up believing that their worth comes only from their looks, not their character, intellect, or talent.
The child who is never chosen may internalize an equally harmful belief—that they are not attractive enough, not valuable enough, and not equal. Both outcomes are devastating.
From Innocent Videos to Moral ‘Fitna’
In a society like ours, where cultural values, modesty, and emotional boundaries are deeply embedded in our way of life, the reckless exposure of children online is not only unwise—it is morally dangerous.
Every reel posted with background music, transitions, slow-motion shots, and aesthetic editing pushes young girls into a spotlight they are not emotionally ready for. What schools call “creativity” may easily become:
Unnecessary exposure
A trigger for unwanted attention
A seed of future moral and social problems
A source of comparison, jealousy, and insecurity among children
We may normalize this today, but tomorrow we will face its consequences.
Education Is Not Entertainment
Schools exist for learning, not for likes. Their duty is to protect the dignity, privacy, and emotional safety of every child—not to parade them online for marketing or publicity. Education should build character, not beauty standards. It should shape the mind, not polish appearances. Yet what we are witnessing today is the slow transformation of schools into social media studios. The reel culture has replaced real education.
Kashmiri Values Are Being Compromised
Kashmir has always taken pride in its culture of modesty, respect, and simplicity. Our families raise children with protective emotional boundaries and moral discipline. But this new trend threatens to dilute those values.
By encouraging young girls to pose, perform, and appear repeatedly online, schools are pushing them into a world of:
Artificial beauty standards
Unwanted public visibility
Early vanity and self-obsession
Peer pressure and comparison
Vulnerability to exploitation
This goes against everything our society stands for.
What Must Be Done?
It is time for schools, parents, and education authorities to wake up and act responsibly. The following steps must become mandatory:
1. Stop using children for promotional content unless absolutely necessary.
2. Ensure equal representation of all students—regardless of skin tone, appearance, or gender—if videos are ever required.
3. Seek written consent from parents before posting any images or videos of their children.
4. Prioritize educational activities over social media trends.
5. Establish strict guidelines preventing the aesthetic or glamorized portrayal of children online.
6. Encourage creativity in learning, not in content creation.
7. Respect and preserve Kashmiri cultural values, modesty, and emotional boundaries.
For the Sake of Our Children
Children are not marketing tools.
They are not decorative objects.
They are not social media trophies.
They are human beings—sensitive, impressionable, and deserving of dignity.
We cannot allow schools to normalize discrimination on the basis of looks or skin tone. We cannot allow them to silence boys and parade girls. And we certainly cannot allow them to compromise the emotional and moral safety of our children under the excuse of “creativity” or “engagement.”
A Final Appeal
For the sake of Kashmiri values, for the emotional well-being of our children, and for the true dignity of education, this racism, discrimination, and moral negligence must end immediately. Schools should rise above this pettiness and remember their true mission:
To educate, to protect, and to inspire—not to exploit.
If we fail to act now, the damage may soon become irreversible.
(The author is a Chemistry mentor, educational columnist and a social activist)
