why?and for what?

The other day,while I was surfing channels , I came across this music channel which had
a kind of reality show for children,songs and the prize being offered was fantastic…cash and ofcoz instant stardom….
What shocked me was that these children were all under 14 years and were accompanied by the parents…..and the earnestness of it all was heartbreaking….and the kids who were eliminated …it was gut wrenching to see them sobbing their hearts out and even the mom and dads crying…what the hell was it all about?
Parents trying to fulfill their own dreams thru their children?
Why?
Isnt it cruel to put little kids thru all the trauma of this very hyped up competition?
Kids are supposed to be enjoying all this but not even in one kids face did I see fun and laughter.They were scared of failing their parents,their school,their neighbourhood and their small towns…..most of them were from small mofussil towns of India.
What have we come to? The lure of big bucks and instant stardom is so great a temptation that parents are putting their kids on line.
Or maybe it’s the moms and dads who want to get out of their middleclass homes and their children are their passports and these kind of competitions their visa to a better life in bigger cities...
I wish that whatever the competition there should be a fun element in it all and these little kids enjoy it…not cry and look tense and we don’t have to see parents with eyes shut and hands folded in prayer at the time of judgments !!