Hannah Baker, from a white picket fence town with an almost perfect family, committed suicide. From being raped by a popular boy, to witnessing her friend's sexual assault, to her best friends turning their backs on her, Hannah endured countless acts of bullying, which she chronicles on 13 audio tapes that are passed around to her friends after her death. On the show, which was produced by Selena Gomez, we witness Hannah's friend, Clay Jensen, helplessly wish he had known what she was facing, so he could have been there for her. We also watch as her peers like character Zach Dempsey, sit on the sidelines and watch her demise. But despite the heartbreaking scenes and soul-crushing realities depicted, as I watched the show, I wondered,
…show more content…
Dead is dead, and as much as it may be hard to portray that on screen, 13 Reasons Why fails to end the last episode with closure. For teens who are battling mental health issues, witnessing the end of a life as easily as the show portrayed it could help desensitize kids to this very serious matter. Even the adults in the show act questionably. Before the suicide, Hannah admits to the counselor mr.Porter that she is feeling lost and empty – clear signals of depression. As she talks about her sadness and anger, instead of being admitted to a clinic, the distracted by a phone call the counselor simply gives her a box of tissues to heal her wounds. Had 13 Reasons Why showcased other forms of outreach, like therapy, teens watching it might realize that there is always an option that doesn't include self-harm.Teen suicide is still the second leading cause of death for teens – over 5,000 kids attempt it every day in America – and we have to approach the topic as a society if we ever want to see those numbers fall. We have to educate faculty and adults about the negative power that social media has with regards to suicide and rape
Dead is dead, and as much as it may be hard to portray that on screen, 13 Reasons Why fails to end the last episode with closure. For teens who are battling mental health issues, witnessing the end of a life as easily as the show portrayed it could help desensitize kids to this very serious matter. Even the adults in the show act questionably. Before the suicide, Hannah admits to the counselor mr.Porter that she is feeling lost and empty – clear signals of depression. As she talks about her sadness and anger, instead of being admitted to a clinic, the distracted by a phone call the counselor simply gives her a box of tissues to heal her wounds. Had 13 Reasons Why showcased other forms of outreach, like therapy, teens watching it might realize that there is always an option that doesn't include self-harm.Teen suicide is still the second leading cause of death for teens – over 5,000 kids attempt it every day in America – and we have to approach the topic as a society if we ever want to see those numbers fall. We have to educate faculty and adults about the negative power that social media has with regards to suicide and rape