13 Reasons Why
The popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why first aired in spring 2017, and it launched a national conversation about suicide. Teens have been glued to their TV or other devices to watch every episode about a girl named Hannah who, in effect, comes back from the grave with thirteen tapes she has left behind. Each tape focuses on a different classmate—some supposed friends—who, she says, factored into her suicide. But as many critics have written, it’s not possible to figure out exactly why someone takes her own life and to be able to guard against it happening to others. But, writes Mike Hale of the New York Times, the beleaguered school counselor may have it right when he tells Clay, one of the main characters, that you can “just never tell."
Chat rooms and sites like Facebook have been ablaze with comments from teens and adults who have watched the show. Their opinions vary from those who love the show and feel it has important messages to those who found it disturbing and dangerous for vulnerable teens.
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13 Reasons Why sent a hard message that people needed to hear. But a second season could be almost dangerous. I’m a recovering cutter and this show was a big trigger for me and I’m sure countless others. The suicide scene was so graphic, I couldn’t watch. While I think the message overall was good, I also think that people are too focused on the entertainment and revenge fantasy that they don’t see the big picture: suicide is ugly and never justified. Let the show remain as a harsh warning and not just another piece of entertainment. It is degrading.
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This definitely was one of the darkest shows I’ve ever seen. I hope it opens kids’ eyes up about bullying and social media and how one screenshot of photos can ruin a person’s life. I just finished the series and found it disturbingly emotional, raw and realistic. I’m at a loss for words.
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Bullying can break someone’s heart, destroy someone’s reputation, break their spirit, and break their soul!
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13 Reasons Why is an amazing show with a great message! The show inspired me to do public speaking at my school about the consequences of bullying. Because I’ve been bullied for 7 years at previous schools, and it sent me down a depression that lasted about 6 years and almost ended in suicide. After therapy I’ve come out stronger than ever, but sadly not everyone has that so I try to change that with telling people about my personal experiences and how we can work together and stop bullying!
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Reactions to 13 Reasons Why from parents, teachers, and counselors have also been mixed. Some organizations, concerned about the effect the show can have on teens, have published guides for parents to use when they watch the program with their kids. Many counselors are upset about the way the school counselor is portrayed. Many therapists are afraid that, for kids who are in crisis, 13 Reasons Why could push them into the abyss. On the other hand, some posts by adults online strike a more favorable opinion.
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So while I wouldn’t recommend this series, I do think it’s important for parents to honestly and openly discuss the troubling challenges it portrays. More importantly, our teens need to know that there is always hope and help.
The Netflix show has sparked a lot of conversations about bullying and abuse, but we also need to improve communication between teens and the adults who can actually help them. I just can’t bring myself to watch it. I already see kids in my elementary school every day who I worry about. I hear horror stories of the bullying going on in middle school. I’m sure HS is just as bad. Couple the bullying with mental illness & it’s scary to see where it leads.
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If any of you have Netflix and preteens or high schoolers, I highly recommend the series: 13 Reasons Why. It absolutely depicts the everyday bullying, drama and aftermath that some of our kids go though.
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Whether you or someone you know “loves” the series and the potential lessons about how bullying can cut deeply, bullying is never the sole reason why Hannah or anyone else ends her life. Just as important, no one gets to seek revenge by “returning” from the grave. The tapes are a convenient vehicle for a fictional TV show (and the book by the same name on which the show was based) but not realistic. The graphic portrayal of the suicide itself, along with the rape scenes, have prompted many to forcefully object—better to tell, not show.
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