Last week, I spent every minute of my free time hunched over my laptop or phone, streaming the sad, gruesome details of Hannah Baker’s short life.
Every gym session, study break and walk to class was defined by her narrative. I even went so far as to listen to the last eight minutes of the finale through the speakers of my car as I drove to the grocery store. I couldn’t stop watching.
However, nearly two weeks after the show was released – and after my 13-hour binge session – I find myself gaining new perspective on the time I spent obsessing over the series.
I realized that while I was watching the series, I didn’t find myself watching to understand the warning signs of suicide, or the effects that actions and words can have on other people. I was watching for entertainment.
I treated the show like any other series – watching merely to see what twisted thing would happen next. Who was on Hannah’s next tape? What had they done? When would we finally get to Clay’s tape? All of these questions ran through my head, but they weren’t the ones I should have been asking.
Based on the slew of tweets and posts that followed the series’ release, I knew that I wasn’t the only one interpreting the show in this way. That’s where I think the show got it wrong – and continues to miss the mark.
All of the media surrounding “13 Reasons Why” has nothing to do with mental health or suicide prevention. In fact, there are at least twenty articles that advise those who suffer from mental illness not to watch the show.
Instead of using its platform to provide additional resources and information about these heavy topics, the show focuses only on enlarging its fan base and ratings.
Just last week, I saw a commercial for “13 Reasons Why” on ABC’s Freeform channel. It mentioned nothing of tapes, suicide or personal struggle. It just showed clips of Alex floating in a pool and Clay riding his bike with his headphones on, set to ominous music. The text in the advertisement read nothing about the violence or bullying that appeared in the show. Rather, it featured reviews from major entertainment critics and included words such as “addicting” and “best dramatic Netflix series.” Words like addiction and drama should not be used to discuss such an important topic like suicide.
The problem becomes even greater when we see things like “13 Reasons Why” fan merchandise. To me, it seems like these notebooks, T-shirts and necklaces were created merely to turn a profit. None of the proceeds from these trinkets go to organizations that deal with mental illness in teenagers. In fact, not even one of these products comes with some sort of mental illness or suicide prevention fact sheet.
Press surrounding the series has the same issue. Actors from the show make generic comments about “reaching out for help” or how “actions like these can change your life forever,” but do little to encourage the seriousness surrounding the show.
Articles focus more on this show being the breakthrough role for the young actors, rather than the contents of the series itself. I have seen more negative press surrounding the actual show than I’ve seen positive. Netflix shies away from the issue at hand and discusses the therapy dogs on set and other behind-the-scenes secrets.
This is why I regret watching the show. I fed into a cultural phenomenon that treats suicide as a form of entertainment.
“13 Reasons Why” did not inspire young adults to change the stigma surrounding mental illness. It didn’t even go so far as to change the way we treat our peers. Just look at the hundreds of memes and tweets bullying the fictional characters that are supposedly hated because they are bullies themselves. It’s a vicious circle, and it needs to end.
It can end with you, if you choose. Instead of spending 13 hours glued to the device of your choosing, gawking at the struggles of Hannah Baker, do something. Don’t be a passive bystander.
Instead, use the 13 hours you would have spent watching the series to educate yourself on mental illness in young adults. Or, reach out to someone in your community who you think might be struggling. This participatory action will better serve you and your peers.
If you’ve already watched the show and are having the same feelings that I am, it’s also not too late. Understand that the show is a Hollywood glamorization of suicide and that the factors contributing to someone to considering suicide might not be as sensational. That being said, take the time to understand the differences between the Netflix portrayal of suicide and true signs of mental illness.
Combatting the stigma surrounding “13 Reasons Why” is essential in our culture. It’s on us to change it.