Also,fair warning, this will be kind of long, as I have a lot of strong feelings about this.
Unless you live under a rock somewhere, I'm sure by now you have heard about Netflix's latest original series, 13 Reasons Why, based on the book by Jay Asher. Now, I haven't read the book, but I have watched the show. Honestly, I am not impressed and I don't recommend it, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. There is one good message in it, be nice to people, you never know what is going on inside their head and what they may be going through outside of your interactions with them.
I had heard so many mixed reviews of the show. Everyone either loves it or hates it, there seems to be no in-between. As someone who has spent the last four years of my life studying psychology, I was not a fan. Many other articles I have read on the topic have mentioned that the creators of the show met with experts in the field who gave them all kinds of advice, that they did not follow, regarding portraying this kind of subject matter in the media. Normally, when a TV show deals with suicide, or really any sensitive subject matter, they put a warning at the beginning of the show/episode, and, if applicable, at the end there is usually something about what to do and where to go if you are dealing with whatever was shown in the episode and need help. 13 Reasons Why does not do this. There are warnings at the beginning of the last few episodes because they deal with rape and showing Hannah's suicide, but there is no "if you need help call this number" disclaimer at the end of any episode.
A lot of things also bothered me about the actual content of the show. Instead of having a ridiculously long paragraph, I will break it into bullet point.
- There is no real mention of the complex mental health problems that those who choose to take their own lives often suffer from. It is simply a blame game. Hannah blames those around her for ending her life, which results in them blaming themselves, and leads to lots of destructive behavior. Some may agree that people treating Hannah like garbage are to blame, others may say that, ultimately, it was her choice. It a way, you're all at least partially right, but there is more to consider. Her classmates bullying her, the things she witnessed happening to her friends, and what Bryce did to her likely triggered her depression. Her attempts to cry out for help went unheard, making her feel like suicide may have been her only real option, even if that wasn't true.
- The faculty of Liberty High are extremely dismissive when Hannah tries to get help. The note she leaves in the class discussion box in one of her classes made it quite clear that, although it was submitted anonymously, there was a serious problem. That teacher should have taken it to an administrator or the counselor to determine what to do. When Hannah did see the counselor, he essentially told her to get over the assault she had made fairly clear she had experienced.
- After Hannah's death, the faculty seem more concerned with saving themselves in the Bakers' lawsuit, than actually helping the students. Instead of addressing the issue of the horrible insults written on the bathroom wall, they paint over them. I also don't recall there being any scenes where the teachers really talk to the students about suicide, although, the show does begin several days after Hannah's death, so that may have happened earlier. All they seem to do is educate parents on the warning signs, telling them to keep an eye on their kids, and put all these "you are not alone" posters up in the hallway. Unfortunately, in many cases, this is exactly the kind of thing that happens, but it still makes me uncomfortable and needs to be discussed.
- The show romanticizes suicide. They portray it as the only way to truly be heard, get the love and attention you craved in life, and get revenge on the people who hurt you. As mentioned above, suicide is an immensely complex issue. Portraying it in this way is very inappropriate.
- In the last episode, they actually show Hannah's suicide, with one of the main characters narrating as it happens. This essentially makes it a step-by-step guide to taking your own life,which is not something anyone, especially teens, should be watching. Studies show that when there is talk of suicide in the media, the number if suicides increases, which is why the news rarely reports on suicides, and have to be extremely careful when they do.
If you or someone you know is in danger of suicide, do not hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or, if the danger is more immediate, call 911.
For more information you can also visit their website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/#
If you live outside the U.S., you can find information on your country's suicide hotline at, http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html
You can also visit http://www.crisistextline.org/get-help-now/ for information on resources for a variety of struggles from domestic abuse to eating disorders.
