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Start Talking!
Know! What Your
Kids Are Watching - 13 Reasons Why
5/23/2017
ThinkstockPhotos-615610100.jpgEven if you haven’t heard of 13 Reasons
Why, don’t assume your pre-teen or teen hasn’t, and do approach this as
if he/she may have caught some, several or all 13 episodes. The
controversy surrounding this show is the subject matter and how it is
being addressed, including depression, bullying, emotional abuse,
substance abuse, sexual assault and suicide – and the viewing audience
– as this series is the latest buzz in middle and high schools across
the nation.
This Netflix-exclusive series begins following the suicide of a high
school teenager named Hannah. She has left behind 13 pre-recorded
cassette tapes, which are meant to be passed around to the 13 people
she blames for her death. Among the many concerns expressed by many
mental health experts, they say the show conveys the idea that if your
voice is not heard in life, it will most certainly be heard in death.
By taking her own life and leaving behind her thoughts, Hannah was able
to cause her unlucky 13 to experience extreme guilt, shame and fear –
exacting the ultimate revenge on those who hurt her.
Parents nationwide have received notices from local school districts
warning that suicide has risen to become the second leading cause of
death among U.S. teens and that watching 13 Reasons Why may increase
thoughts of suicide among this most-impressionable age group –
specifically for those who may be experiencing issues similar to those
portrayed in the show. Schools also are cautioning that suicide is
being glamorized in this series and may be viewed as a way out.
In an article published by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus,
Ohio, Behavioral Health Expert John Ackerman, Ph.D., says the show
misses the mark when it comes to realistic behavior surrounding
suicide. He says it is unrealistic, for a teen especially, to put
together an elaborate series of tapes in the midst of an emotional
crisis and that empathy and revenge are rarely the culprits of taking
one’s life. Ackerman says, “…13 Reasons Why suggests Hannah’s suicide
served its intended purpose. It promotes the idea that something
permanent and shocking is the only way to make others understand the
depth of one’s pain and what others have done to cause it.” He says
that it was a potentially dangerous decision by writers and producers,
in the final episode, to depict Hannah’s suicide in such a drawn out
and detailed fashion and warns of “suicide contagion”; a phenomenon
where there is an increase in suicides after exposure to the suicidal
behavior of others.
Suicide is not the only concerning factor of a young viewing audience.
There are multiple graphic, physical assaults and sexual assaults that
occur among these teens, as well of plenty of alcohol and drug use (on
top of bad language). While many teens tragically do experience assault
and do engage in substance abuse, your child does not necessarily
benefit from seeing it played out in front of them.
13 Reasons Why is not intended for the middle school youth and, in most
cases, not at all appropriate for this age group. If your high school
student is among the viewing audience, your best bet is to watch it
yourself and discuss it with your teen. It is, however, a great series
for parents to watch. The majority of us parents raising teens
currently, never had to deal with the pressures and public shaming that
takes place on social media (at least not in our adolescence) and
therefore may not realize how deeply devastating it can be for a teen.
This show also gives adults a glimpse at how poorly some young people
treat others and the impact it can have – in case we have forgotten
from our high school days.
This series is definitely getting conversations started and that’s a
good thing. But the bottom line is that we, as parents, must know what
our kids are watching and keep the conversations going.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) - Immediate
help 24/7
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at
StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
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