Lately, piles of articles beginning with the title "13 Reasons.." have come out referring to the new Netflix original series "13 Reasons Why." Some of them explain important points to know about the series, but others are criticizing or completely misconstruing the meaning of the show. With a show that's about such an important topic of discussion, it's important to understand what really needs to be taken away from it–and that's not one, universal idea.
"13 Reasons Why" has sparked a lot of discussions since it came out not only because of how popular and relate-able it is but because of how shocking the plot is. For those who don't know, "13 Reasons Why" conveys the life of a teenage girl and how continual bullying throughout high school led to her suicide. Whether it was sexual harassment, rumors, being abandoned, or being ridiculed; she constantly faced the worst situations that most people have experienced at least once throughout high school. This may be one of the most important shows to ever come out on Netflix with the target audience being Millennials. However, because we're used to Netflix shows being primarily adventurous or humorous, it seems many aren't used to a show conveying such a real, and scary situation.
Since it's release on Netflix, the show has been open to more discussions and ideas depicted on social media than ever. It has been taken apart, theorized, degraded, and also praised. According to a lot of recent news about it, some believe that the show did not do a good job of displaying realistic effects of bullying. Some articles even suggest that Hannah Baker, the star of the show, exaggerated the suicide a lot.
However, the producers of the show--the executive producer being Selena Gomez-- created this show in a way that entailed all kinds of different bullying, the best way they could. It is not easy to portray a suicide in anyway, not is it simple to display typical high school bullying, but this show did not aim to do the impossible of perfectly capturing a suicide; they only sought to get us thinking about the effects of bullying, and how to cope.
But none of the high expectations or judgement of the characters' actions should matter. Although it might not be able to perfectly resemble the story of a suicide, at least it's something. It's not the best reminder of why bullying needs to end and how to support others in hard times, but it is doing more than nothing. With this show, people who feel lost in life and don't feel as if they can talk to anyone can at least make something out of this show. Everyone has different opinions and experiences with suicide. Some of are speechless after knowing way too many people who have, while others are fortunate enough to not know anyone who has committed suicide. "13 Reasons Why" tried to create an experience that everyone can relate to on some level, even bullies, and making fun of it or saying that the show is inaccurate might hurt others who have faced similar situations that Hannah Baker does in the show. Make whatever you want out of it, but keep in mind how important this show might be to others. It may be a show, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a ton of meaning.
