Theme of Thirteen Reasons Why: Media, Vulnerability & Controversy

Unpacking the Impact: Media's Role in Shaping Perceptions on 13 Reasons Why and Mental Health

If you are a teen or have access to some type of media, it’s highly likely that you’ve heard about this new show, 13 Reasons Why. To very briefly summarize the plot, Hannah, a high school girl, commits suicide due to bullying, rape, and other issues, then leaves 13 tapes. Each tape is dedicated to a person who had an important role in her decision to commit suicide.

This story was first converted from a book by Jay Asher into a 13-episode Netflix series on March 31, 2017. The second season, which expanded on the aftermath and the trial between Hannah’s mom and the school, was released on May 18, 2018, and completely revamped the popularity and controversy of 13 Reasons Why. Many people will probably agree that it’s extremely difficult to be completely in the dark about this show. We are constantly being influenced, whether we know it or not, because of the increase in our exposure to media. 13 Reasons Why now has a big role in forming teens’ views about suicide and mental health because they have been given the power to portray these harsh topics as they believe they should be seen. Media should use their ability to create a conversation about difficult issues, but 13 Reasons Why depicts some of these issues dangerously, and measures should be taken to protect vulnerable youth.

First of all, 13 Reasons Why illustrates some topics that are very important for people to talk about. A recent study showed that “80 percent of adolescent and young-adult viewers reported that people their age deal with similar issues to those in the series... 56 percent [of parents] reported that the show made it easier for them to have conversations about tough topics with their children” (11). This is because media has a huge effect on people’s lives, especially for young adults. Creator David Yokey has responded to complaints about the abrasiveness of the material by saying that when we would rather not be confronted with something and not talk about it, that enhances the sense of shame about the issues and only buries them deeper (1). By watching relatable characters deal with the subjects of suicide, rape, bullying, and ignorance, we can force these issues to be addressed. In many ways, this is very beneficial. Viewers can learn about warning signs and how it may not be obvious when someone is dealing with that stuff. There is also statistical evidence that may prove that this show can help people who are struggling with suicide. In the 19 days after Season 1’s release, “'suicide prevention' increased 23 percent and 'suicide hotline number' increased 21 percent” (14). We can’t be sure that this sizable spike is due to the show’s release, but it’s very likely because of the huge takeoff that 13 Reasons Why had as soon as it was put out on Netflix. Overall, many teens and other people have been positively affected by the show because it showed some realities that before were very hidden and suppressed.

What is the Theme of Thirteen Reasons Why? Delving into Controversy and Accountability

When a series like this is released, there will obviously be some controversy. 13 Reasons Why has received a colossal amount of backlash for a few key things that they are doing. All of these valid complaints are cause for concern, and people are concerned. NAMI created guidelines for how to talk about the show to prevent damage, and other mental health experts have advised that teens should only watch this with parental supervision and if they are mentally stable (18). In addition, “when a suicide-prevention expert was shown episodes in advance, he reportedly advised Netflix not to release it” (17). So why is this popular show so controversial?

One of the biggest issues with this show is that they play the “blame game.” The entire premise of the show revolves around Hannah blaming 13 students for essentially causing her to commit suicide. This sends the message that other people are responsible when someone commits suicide, which is a dangerous teaching. Hannah even said, “He failed, and my fate was sealed” at one point. While we can’t deny that some of what those kids did affected Hannah negatively, the truth is that no one was responsible for her suicide. Suicide.org states very clearly, “The suicide was not your fault” (16), and almost every other suicide and grief page talks about how you can’t blame yourself. This leads to another problem with 13 Reasons Why. They do not do much to teach about mental illness. Over 90% of suicide victims suffer from mental illness (8), including 40-50% who have personality disorders (17). But still, this show puts very little emphasis on the fact that Hannah was suffering from depression or other mental health issues, and THAT is what caused her death.

Dissecting the Narrative: Power, Revenge, and the Portrayal of Seeking Help in '13 Reasons Why'

To continue, 13 Reasons Why glorifies suicide by giving Hannah power and by framing her death as a revenge plot. The National Association of School Psychologists says that the show “may lead the impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices… and/or develop revenge fantasies” (5). Hannah controls the other characters from the grave by leaving those tapes, and this gives her power. Power is something that many suicidal people feel they lack, and spreading this message is very dangerous and reckless. Viewers can also see the grief that others feel because of the suicide, and while that may be helpful because watchers can see what they would put others through, it can also be dangerous. It implies that her suicide will reform others who hurt her, and it frames suicide as revenge for what they did.

Although this show is filmed through flashbacks, we can see a large lead-up to her suicide. We see terrible things happen to her, and we also see her reach out at times with no or little response. In fact, that is the basis of the entire second season. But this is a bad example of what really happens, and it’s unsafe to show some teens. It’s important to realize that, unfortunately, this is a reality for some people but not for most. Rachel Peterson, a manager at the National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI], says that it’s “an inaccurate portrayal of what happens when someone goes and either reports a traumatic event or is seeking help” (5). Therefore, this can make malleable viewers believe that reaching out won’t help them when that is almost entirely untrue. Asking for help is the best thing to do because you have to understand that suicide is a preventable death and it’s not your only option. But 13 Reasons Why fails to stress this critical point and instead leads viewers to believe that suicide was her only choice to communicate her pain to the world.

Inescapable Exposure: The Viral Reach of '13 Reasons Why' and Its Impact on Teens

Part of the problem with this show is that it’s extremely difficult to escape, and it’s impossible to keep teens from talking about it. Netflix has over 94 million subscribers (19), and you can also watch the show with just a simple search and download it online. More importantly, we have social media now, which allows us to share our thoughts and feelings about anything. In the week after its release, there were over 3,585,110 tweets about 13 Reasons Why, and this makes it the most talked about streamed show in history (9). This sharing is spreading the word about the show in general and also the warnings about it. Unfortunately, we can’t know if this is good or bad. On the one hand, the media boost is generating conversation about the topic in general, which was the major goal of the show. However, fragile people who shouldn’t be watching, talking, or hearing about 13 Reasons Why are being exposed to it even if they may be trying to avoid it. And it’s not just social media. When I was researching for this essay, I couldn’t even try to keep track of how many articles I found. Some were from gossip magazines,

Due to our society’s uncontainable need to share and spread things. Many schools took actions into their own hands. Schools around the country send home emails to parents with advice ranging from ‘Have a conversation with your children’ to “We seriously recommend that you not let your child watch this show” (20). 

References

1. Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen Reasons Why. RazorBill.
2. Yorkey, B. (Creator). (2017). 13 Reasons Why [Television series]. Netflix.
3. National Association of School Psychologists. (2017). "13 Reasons Why" Netflix series: Considerations for educators.
4. Mental Health America. (2017). Position statement on the depiction of mental illnesses in the media.
5. Gould, M., Jamieson, P., & Romer, D. (2003). Media contagion and suicide among the young. American Behavioral Scientist, 46(9), 1269-1284.
6. Pirkis, J., & Blood, R. W. (2001). Suicide and the media: A critical review. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 22(4), 163-182.

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