The dangers of precocious stardom

Admiration from strangers and social pampering are not easy things for children to digest. 
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Ekalavya story from the Mahabharata is well known. Dronacharya, the master archer, is impressed with the skills and diligence of his young pupil Arjuna, so much so that he promises to make Arjuna the crème de la crème of archers. The promise motivates the young lad to work harder, but it also fills him with ambition and conceit. When Arjuna chances to see the extraordinary skills of Ekalavya, a hunter-boy, he is not merely awestruck; he also becomes jealous. Arjuna complains to Drona about the hunter-boy usurping his status as the best archer. Drona then cunningly ensures that Ekalavya’s career as an archer is smothered once and for all!

Arjuna’s small-minded, but natural, response and its sad consequence for Ekalavya couch in them a timeless lesson on the dangers of precocious stardom. The episode has a special relevance in our times. It carries a valuable lesson in parenting for all those who are habituated to make their children bask in the spotlight on social media.

One sees, almost on a daily basis, enthusiastic parents posting videos of their children’s song or dance performances on social media sites. A few of those performances are genuinely good and bespeak high talent. The “likes” and appreciation that such performances get become a source of gratification for the child-performer’s parents. But, they also become a sort of social pampering for the child.

Admiration from strangers and social pampering are not easy things for children to digest. The pressures of public perception can overwhelm the child’s self-discovery, thereby uprooting the founts of creativity. Conceit gradually creeps into its innocent mind and begins to replace the joy of learning with ambition. In such a state of mind, when the child comes across a peer who is better than him, his natural response will be jealousy and its concomitant insecurity. A talented child thus loses its poise because of precocious stardom secured for it by its elders. That is precisely what happened with Arjuna when he saw Ekalavya. Jealousy replaced admiration turning a playmate instantly into a rival.

Children can and must receive encouraging appreciation from their parents, teachers, and extended family members. A healthy dose of appreciation is essential for all noble pursuits. But, what social media brings is appreciation that is gaudy and excessive. Our children must be protected from it. It is doable if only the elders give up their cravings for vicarious stardom.

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