How '13 reasons why' is both good and bad for our minds

'13 reasons why..' - that phrase has become an internet sensation lately and the popular Netflix show has been in the news for both good and bad reasons. Adapted from the novel by Jay Asher, the show is about a teenager named Hannah Baker who commits suicide. She leaves behind a set of cassette tapes, each addressed to a different person in her life, detailing how they hurt her and contributed to her death.

Since the theme of the play out is a revenge fantasy, it portrays suicide as an act that will achieve something. It’s aimed at a young audience, who are particularly susceptible to infirmity and are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts at some point. It normalises and legitimatizes the act. It goes into too much and too graphic detail about the suicide itself – which is not the best thing, since however horrible it is to watch, this can still be viewed as a how-to or a suicide tutorial. 

The opening line of 13 Reasons Why became a 'thing' and spread like wildfire across social media platforms. “Welcome to your tape” is how Baker addresses each of the characters as the episodes begin.  The insensitivity of the show is evident right here, as the format has done more than trivialise and normalise an achingly needless cause of death, one that leaves a seam of pain in the landscape around it forever. 

The reason why '13 reasons why' is infamously famous, is because it might have grabbed eyeballs due to the controversy itself, but the show has the potential to mess with the minds of young adults all over the world. One out of five adults think about suicide at least once in their lives, and the thought is raging amongst the youth. While I understand that making a splash and an impact is the primary objective of the television industry, it is also important for them to realise the influence and reach they have on the tender minds of youngsters. 

Suicide is not a joke. In a way, the show shed a light on a very serious issue in our world today, in the rawest and most authentic way possible. But, the very fact that we need a tv show to alert us to talk about this 'taboo topic' is a problem in itself. Why did it have to take a series to really hit home to most of us? It shouldn't have taken a TV show for us to realise how our words and actions affect the people around us.  

Addressing a problem and nipping it in the bud is what we need to do. By not talking about our demons, we only strengthen them. Silence intensifies the shame that already accompanies such thoughts. The important thing is to discuss the idea of suicide as a feeling, rather than the act as something final. Suicide is anything but final and people need to understand that. It echoes into everything afterwards. It is the definition of a life unfinished.

So, given that the show is extremely intriguing for all (curious) humans, the next time you watch the show, it's advisable not to try to keep identifying with Baker's character. Don't let Hannah Baker's story inspire you in any way and let it be nothing more than an hour of interesting storytelling. There's a reason why they call the tv an idiot box!