13 Reasons Why - Are you watching it?

The arrival of the controversial drama, '13 Reasons Why' to Netflix, has had everyone talking.

The American teen drama is based around seventeen-year-old high school student Clay, and his friend Hannah who committed suicide, after failing to cope with the difficulties that were thrown at her in high school. After Hannah’s death, she leaves behind cassette tapes that she pre-recorded in the lead up to her death, detailing in depth the reasons why she ended her life.

Why the controversy?

If you haven’t heard of the series, you better look it up now, because it’s likely your teenager has. Its controversy, that has followed it through season 1 with its graphic depiction of rape scenes along with other mature content, has continued with the release of season 2 in recent months. This teen drama, leaves nothing to the imagination, nothing. It has gotten us all talking and wondering, are these scenes really necessary in a series aimed so intentionally at teenagers?

Schools have released warnings about the content, some of which include staying well away from the popular series and its focus on teen suicide and sexual assault, advising it could be harmful to our children. In both seasons, there are particularly graphic scenes that even grown adults have found extremely confronting and hard to forget. With popular international starlet Selena Gomez as an Executive Producer, it has a heavy promotion and following amongst its target audience.

Two sides to the story

But there are two sides to the story of '13 Reasons Why'. The series explores issues of cyberbullying, assault, depression, and what it means to live in a society where women are often devalued and bragged about as a sexual conquest. It explores the issues society often steers away from and is too scared to talk about publicly. However, we know that teenage suicide is on the rise, we know the demographic most at risk of depression is teen to 20 year old males and this series bravely explores the realities of suicide for this group experiencing the pressures of young adult life. It’s unflinching and unapologetic in its depiction, and often, difficult to watch the graphic portrayals of the events which we don’t like to discuss.

'13 Reasons Why' dives into the depth of a teenager who feels she has lost everything, and how she felt there was seemingly no better answer than to end her life. The series also explores how her suicide has a grave effect on her family, and those around her and how they felt they could have done more to help. There is a large focus on how one death can affect an army. It sends the important message that the story does not end when a person dies.

However, there is the other side where viewers found the depiction of the suicide far too explicit and outrageous. Many thought the scene sensationalised suicide and thought it was best left to the imagination. Sensationalising suicide is not what we want for our loved ones. And in this series, some believe '13 Reasons Why' makes suicide an appealing option. You may be one of the parents who has received a letter from your child’s school to avoid the series all together and rather discuss such serious issues at home, or with our teachers. There is the opinion that our teenagers shouldn’t see these scenes depicted on the screen, as it provides ideas to those contemplating self-harm.

But what remains is '13 Reasons Why', is out there and readily available on Netflix. Do you want to watch it with your teenager? Do you want to politely ask them to not watch it? Do you want them to watch it with their friends? Do you want them to watch it and not tell you? This content, is becoming more and more forefront whether parents like it or not. Some think the outrage that this series offers is a way of shocking teens, and others think its detrimental to their mental health. But we just ask you to be aware. And have a think, because, likely, your teenager has already.

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