The crackdown on viral child-starring shorts

The podcast explores the rising trend of ultra-short online dramas featuring child actors in mature roles and China's new regulations to protect these young performers. It highlights the popularity of these dramas, driven by novelty and the fatigue of adult-led content, with children as young as four portraying characters in storylines involving reincarnation, superpowers, and tyrannical CEOs. The discussion covers concerns about the psychological impact on children, who may not understand the adult themes they are acting out, and the potential for exploitation due to long working hours and parental pressure. Examples include a four-year-old reciting lines about draining corpses and a five-year-old being coerced into crying by threatening her visiting grandparents. The new regulations aim to prohibit children from portraying adult-like roles and to avoid content that is cognitively inappropriate, sparking debate about balancing entertainment value with child welfare.