Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the infamous Netflix show "13 Reasons Why" has come out with its second season. I clearly remember hearing my friend saying she was so excited to watch it, and I remember my irritation when my mom said I wasn't allowed to watch it. Mom, if you're reading this, thanks for not letting me watch it.
A week later in Spanish class, a different friend told me in tears that they almost relapsed to cutting themselves after they watch they show, and we spent the rest of the day discussing how anyone in their right minds could make this show.
If you don't know, the show is about a girl who commits suicide and leaves behind several tapes to condemn those who she believed were responsible for her death. I'm grateful I didn't watch the show, but I did read the Wikipedia plot and even then, I was horrified.
As someone who has struggled with depression and known countless people going through the same thing, it's difficult to explain the effect this show could have on a person already on the cusp of making an irreversible decision. In fact, the show came out during some of my darkest time, which makes me all the more grateful I didn't watch it.
For one, the show glorifies suicide by showing the mark that Hannah (the girl who commits suicide) left with her tapes, calling out her rapists and her backstabbing friends. While it is good those people got their comeuppance, the show seems to glaze over the fact that Hannah is still dead. She doesn't get to see justice because she killed herself. Killing yourself never, ever fixes anything.
Besides that, they also show Hannah being raped. That is unacceptable. Rape, even when it is clearly depicted as a bad thing, should never be acted out for entertainment. It can truly bring up some horrifying memories for victims of this.
And of course, there is the problem of Hannah's suicide. In the final episode, she graphically slits her wrists, and her parents come home to find her. This is perhaps the worst thing the show did. In the book, she overdosed on pills, and while that is still horrific, it doesn't have the same effects as bleeding out. To everyone I spoke to about the episode, they all said they were horrified and later on disgusted with how the show portrayed suicide.
I've heard a therapist talk about a client who told her she was writing letters and admired Hannah. She later attempted suicide, with 13 letters left behind. Thankfully, she survived.
A teacher told us, close to tears, that she started the show but couldn't finish because she kept picturing Hannah as us. Another friend said that after Hannah's parents found their daughter, she had an anxiety attack that lasted for nearly a half hour, and now when she thinks about it she feels sick.
After the show aired, Google searches for "how to kill myself" rose by 26 percent. Netflix has reportedly ignored mental health experts' suggestions on how to film and portray the show, all the while claiming the show would raise suicide awareness.
In fact, Netflix decided not to premiere the show on the planned date in wake of the Santa Fe High School shooting. Apparently one of the plot lines involves a school shooting, and it's shocking that the show would keep that even after Parkland.
In any case, this is why I suggest don't watch "13 Reasons Why." The show glorifies suicide and graphically depicts rape and suicide. Even if you don't struggle with a mental illness and aren't bothered by such topics, please don't support Netflix in this new season. Maybe this time, they'll get the message.
Maybe they'll hurry up with "Series of Unfortunate Events" season three.
If you feel suicidal urges or have dangerous self harm thoughts, don't keep it to yourself. Reach out for help immediately.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
