The following article originally appeared in Juniata High School's newspaper The Arrowhead.

On March 31st, Netflix released a single season of an original series called 13 Reasons Why. The series is based on Jay Asher’s book with the same title, published in 2007. 13 Reasons Why is about a teenager named Hannah Baker who has killed herself and left 13 cassette tapes for each person who played a part in the events leading up to her suicide to listen to. The story is narrated by Clay Jensen, one of Hannah’s friends and a person featured on her tapes. It follows Clay as he listens to the tapes and has an inner struggle over what to do about the things he learns from them.

Many teenagers flocked to watch 13 Reasons Why on Netflix, possibly because of its intriguing concept or maybe due to it being produced by Selena Gomez. Unfortunately, hardly any teenagers are talking about the serious issues discussed within the show. Within a week of its release, the entire internet was buzzing with remembrances of characters, strong dislikes of others, and regrets of couples that could have been. There were even memes created that started with minor inconveniences and ended with “Welcome to your tape,” a line Hannah Baker says on multiple cassette tapes. With those who loved the show came those who did not. Many parents spoke out against 13 Reasons Why, claiming it promoted suicide. Some viewers also protested the explicit scenes of rape and suicide the series contains. 

While people may not want to admit it, suicide is something that happens and something that needs to be discussed. A large portion of people, both teenagers and adults, are complaining that the suicide scene is too graphic. However, that’s the point. It’s supposed to be difficult to watch, and it’s supposed to show there’s nothing about committing suicide that’s worthwhile or pleasant for anybody involved, as shown when Hannah’s mother finds her in the bathroom. If people want to complain about the graphic content, they may. However, nobody is forcing them to watch the show. It has a TV-MA rating and there are warnings at the beginning of all the sensitive episodes, as well as warnings existing all across the internet. The producers of the show and the author of the book, who helped with the series, all stated that their intention was to try to be as real and raw as possible.

I will be the first to say that 13 Reasons Why doesn’t do a great job of acknowledging mental health. For example, Hannah asks for help a few hours before she commits suicide, yet the counselor makes no mention of depression or post-traumatic stress as possible causes for her feelings. The discussion of mental health for the education of people watching probably should have been opened up. Also, the portrayal of events on the show may lead people to believe that asking for help will not get them anywhere, which is not always true. The number of high school students with depression and anxiety is skyrocketing, so it’s important that our resources go into helping those people.

Rape is an issue the series touches on during the last several episodes. I feel that the producers were right to include the topic not only because it tells the story from the victim’s point of view but also because high school is a time when people begin to learn about boundaries and consent. Even before rape becomes a point, people need to find a general respect for the other gender. Here in our own school, I see and hear objectifications typically made by males toward females. This is simply not fair, as we are here to learn, not to worry about whether the person behind us is going to talk to their friends after class about our “assets.” 

It starts with strangers and can continue all the way into the deepest realms of closeness, or best friendships, as demonstrated by another one of Hannah’s friends. Rape, sexual assault, and objectifying others are issues that should be discussed in high schools across the country and 13 Reasons Why really brings that to light. 

13 Reasons Why is considered a good show for many reasons, like how teenagers are able to relate to some of the common high school problems. The main point of the series, though, is to raise awareness of some serious issues. Many people focus on the romantic story between Hannah and Clay or the accidental death of a minor character, but there’s only one thing that viewers should take away from watching the show. The things that matter are the things that can be managed and can send a person’s life spiraling out of control. Everyone’s actions have an impact, no matter how large or small. Even when an action seems harmless, it can affect others in unimaginable ways.