Netflix has come out with a second season of the show called 13 Reasons Why. The show follows a young girl’s suicide and all the messages she left behind for the people who contributed to her decision to take her own life. The show, produced by Selena Gomez, is supposed to bring awareness to difficult topics like suicide.
However, if the goal is to prevent suicide by displaying the horrific nature of it, the show has failed miserably.
The show depicts the incidents leading up to the lead character (Hannah’s) suicide and all of the fallout after her suicide, in addition to a graphic two-minute scene of Hannah killing herself.
This scene is extremely graphic and traumatizing, many experts have given analysis to the scene saying that it imposes danger to mimicking [1]. Dan Reidenburg, the executive director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, commented on the show;
“I’ve heard from others that are really concerned because it’s [the suicide scene] so sensational and so graphic that they’re worried about the copycat effect of suicide…” [1]
The show was warned of the fact that mimicking was a danger and proceeded to release the show anyway [3]. Quickly this danger became reality, and there were several reports of people trying to replicate Hannah’s suicide from the show.
A mother in Florida blames the show for her daughter’s suicide attempt. The girl was apparently in a pact with some other kids at school to try to run away. They had agreed if they weren’t able to follow through, they would commit suicide. [4]
The report says; “The teenager sent a video of her cutting herself to the teenagers and reportedly complained that “it’s taking too long …. It’s not like on ’13 Reasons.’” [4]
The mother said in a report: “Other than the type of blade used, my daughter did everything the girl in ‘13 Reasons’ did,” [4]
This is only one of several cases reported that were linked to mimicking the show.
Another report said that the parents of two 15-year-old girls, Bella Herndon and Priscilla Chui, blame the show for their girls’ suicides [5]. The girls went to different schools and did not know each other. They both took their lives only days after finishing the first season of the show, which ends with the graphic depiction of Hannah’s suicide [5]. Coincidence, I think not.
Another report says that a Peruvian man, Franco Alanzo Lazo Medrano, took his own life at the age of 23 [2]. He left a note strung to a series of tapes on his computer for people who “drove Medrano to take his life” [2], just as Hannah does in the show.
Need I go on?
The ramifications of the show are clear in the examples given. When it comes to life, losing just one is far too many. If you are still not convinced of the danger of the show, look to the statistics about the inquiry of suicide on google after the release of the show:
“Google queries about suicide rose by almost 20 percent in 19 days after the show came out, representing between 900,000 and 1.5 million more searches than usual regarding the subject.” [3]
Even with these shocking findings the show and Netflix continue to defend themselves saying that they are bringing awareness to the topic.
“Netflix and the producers of 13 Reasons Why, who reportedly disregarded advice from mental-health experts not to release the first season, have repeatedly claimed that the show is raising awareness around the subject of suicide, banishing stigmas, and leading to more discussion of a sensitive topic.” [3]
While the show may be raising awareness, it is not the kind of awareness that prevents suicide. Many have commented that the show ‘romanticizes’ the idea of suicide, and this is absolutely correct.
The show is set in a typical high school with popular kids, jocks, nerds, etc. This is important because in the show Hannah leaves tapes for these people. The idea of leaving tapes is an idea that allows the person to feel like they will live on and be heard after their death. The show enhances this idea by showing all the characters constantly talking about and contemplating Hannah’s death. Hannah consumes their lives after her death. This is a toxic idea for young people that suicide will bring all the attention they have always wanted.
In addition, the show keeps Hannah on as a ghost in the second season, she follows other characters, and even talks to them, again, consuming their lives. This does not give the correct impression of death. It is imperative to show the truth about suicide. That once someone commits suicide, they cannot talk, they cannot be, they are only gone forever.
After all of this, my question is: how can this ‘how-to’ for suicide be available for anyone to watch?
The answer is Netflix. The CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, in reply to the outrage about the show and the second season follow-up said, “Nobody has to watch it”. [8]
Clearly Netflix is not taking any of the blame for the ramifications of the show but reaping all of the benefits.
The show has seen further outrage from the second season, in which an extremely graphic and violent act of sexual abuse is shown on the show. The second season ends with the chance of a school shooting from the victim of the abuse. We should not show these extremely delicate and serious topics in such a glamorous medium like television.
Netflix has made a huge error in thinking this type of platform would be effective in aiding these real issues. The show offers helplines and talk shows that discuss the serious topics, but there is no assurance that these will be used or useful for the viewers.
I believe in bringing awareness to these issues in a safe and effective way. However, we cannot put out traumatizing shows such as this with no restrictions. We need this issue to be brought to awareness responsibly and make sure we are able to control the responses safely.
Furthermore, the answer here is absolutely not: “nobody has to watch it”. That is an insufficient, passive, and frankly disgraceful response to the problem at hand.
The National Association of School Psychologists said in a statement, “We do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series,” [2].
Vulnerable youth? Perhaps they mean the target audience of this show? What person in the midst of adolescence or even young adulthood is not vulnerable?
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 10-14, it is the second among people ages 15-34 [9]. Is this not the vulnerable youth that shouldn’t watch the show? Is this not the same youth that is also the target audience of the show?
But don’t worry because, “nobody has to watch it”.
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[1] Thorbecke, Catherine. “’13 Reasons Why’ Faces Backlash from Suicide Prevention Advocacy Group.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 18 Apr. 2017, www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/13-reasons-faces-backlash-suicide-prevention-advocacy-groups/story?id=46851551.
[2] Joyce, Kathleen. “Peruvian Man Mimics ’13 Reasons Why,’ Leaves behind Tapes after Suicide.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 8 June 2017, www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/06/08/peruvian-man-mimics-13-reasons-why-leaves-behind-tapes-after-suicide.html.
[3] Gilbert, Sophie. “Did ’13 Reasons Why’ Spark a Suicide Contagion Effect?” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 2 Aug. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/08/13-reasons-why-demonstrates-cultures-power/535518/.
[4] Joyce, Kathleen. “’13 Reasons Why’ Slammed by Florida Mom Following Teen Daughter’s Suicide Attempt.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 24 May 2018, www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/24/13-reasons-why-slammed-by-florida-mom-following-teen-daughters-suicide-attempt.html.
[5] Musumeci, Natalie. “Families Blame ’13 Reasons Why’ for Teen Daughters’ Suicides.” New York Post, New York Post, 27 June 2017, www.nypost.com/2017/06/27/families-blame-13-reasons-why-for-teen-daughters-suicides/
[6] Hornshaw, Phil. “Every ’13 Reasons Why’ Character Ranked, From Most to Least Redeemable (Photos).” TheWrap, TheWrap, 24 May 2017, www.thewrap.com/13-reasons-why-characters-ranked/.
[7] Thistlethwaite, Felicity. “13 Reasons Why Season 3: Netflix Boss Defends Renewing Series ‘You Don’t HAVE to Watch It’.” Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 7 June 2018, www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/970774/13-Reasons-Why-season-3-cast-Netflix-CEO-Reed-Hasting.
[8] Clark, Travis. “Netflix CEO Defends ’13 Reasons Why’ Renewal after Critics Slam ‘Pointless’ Season 2.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 7 June 2018, www.businessinsider.com/netflix-ceo-defends-13-reasons-why-renewal-after-backlash-2018-6.
[9] Wittmer, Carrie. “Why People Are Saying the Netflix Hit ’13 Reasons Why’ Glorifies Suicide and Is ‘Dangerous’.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 2 May 2017, www.businessinsider.com/13-reasons-why-controversy-suicide-dangerous-2017-5
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