Majority of people who have Netflix accounts or use a friend or family member's account have watched or considered watching "13 Reasons Why".
There have been a lot of good and bad said about this show but majority good. I have a lot of positive things to point out about this show but I have to start with one negative thing so bare with me one minute.
[SPOILER ALERT] If you have not seen the show and plan on it, don't read on if you want to avoid any spoilers.
The most negative thing in this show is the last episode, when Hannah Baker's suicide is shown. It is a very uneasy and graphic scene. Now I know it gives a lot of views on the realism of suicide and that is needed, however, there has been studies that show that those type of scenes aren't good for those who are considering suicide, have had suicidal thoughts, or may have suicidal thoughts in the future. It is a very harsh scene and may have been able to been portrayed in a different way instead of directly showing her slitting her wrists with the razor blade.
But besides that, there are many POSITIVE things that can be said about this show.
It helps with people being able to try to tell to the signs of suicide. It could very well help someone help someone else in need. & while it bring awareness to suicidal thought signs, it bring A LOT of awareness to bullying behaviors. We've all been a party of the bullying... whether you were the bully or you were the one being bullied, or you helped stop bullying or you just watched it happen, it happens. And what makes it worse is that It's not just a high school problem... now a days, it can start in elementary school or even in a day care. There is not enough attention given to bullying and it needs to be addressed.This show does a GREAT job of that.
This show educates so much more on rape culture and calls it out. While the scenes of the rapes may be a bit uneasy for some to watch, it makes it so much more real. And in these scenes and the rawness of them, hopefully it sheds light on those who rape or attempt or thought of rape.
It really shows how damaging gossip can be. While the more aggressive forms of gossip are in high school, this opens up a door for people to realize that gossip happens at any age. Which makes it relatable to anyone beyond their high school years. Granted this show may actually be good for high schoolers to watch and see the damages that may happen in the gossip they participate or bystand in. But it's guaranteed no matter how old you are, you have more than likely been in any one of the situations that happen in this show when it comes to gossip.
"13 Reasons Why" is a really good example of why we should stand up for people. It is a scary thought sometimes for some people when you see someone being discriminated or bullied or gossiped about and you want to say something but are not sure how to speak out... JUST SPEAK OUT. Stand up for someone, it may very well change their life or thoughts they may be having.
Lastly, the most important thing I feel this show does well, is it reminds us all that we can treat each other way better than we do, even simply with random acts of kindness. Yes I am aware there are very kind people out there, but let's be real honest here, we are all guilty of being unkind, even if it was only once. We are human beings and make mistakes or say the wrong things. But it is not hard to be kind to one another. Why be so quick to talk down on someone? or even talk down on yourself? Why not give someone a compliment or just say something nice about them? You honestly never know what that person is going through and you could very well compliment someone who has been contemplating suicide and it may just make them take a step away from it with the help of your kindness, even if you don't know them.
In the end, although this show has a lot of sadness as it is based off of Jay Asher's book, and even actions of characters that drive us crazy (for example, Sherri not balling up and reporting hitting the stop sign because JEFF DESERVED BETTER), it does what a lot of shows and movies are almost afraid to do... it calls out all of the harsh things that really do happen with gossip, rape culture, bullying, and suicide. I personally recommend this show. The cast did a great job and I commend the whole cast and crew on a job well done!
