Following in the footsteps of "Stranger Things" and "Orange Is The New Black," Netflix's new series "13 Reasons Why" is the latest streaming show that everyone is talking about. The show is based on Jay Asher's best-selling young adult novel of the same title.
I read "13 Reasons Why" when I was in sixth or seventh grade and remember being really affected by it. I was bullied a lot in elementary and middle school, so I felt like I was able to relate to it. It was interesting to be able to watch the show and see the similarities and differences between that and the book.
One thing that really stood out to me as I streamed each episode was just how very real all of the situations unfold. Hannah Baker being bullied starts off small with vague rude comments and people laughing at her. That slowly builds over time. It begins to have more and more of a toll on Hannah.
I really felt for her as I watched these episodes. The things she was dealing with - sexual harassment, verbal altercations, isolation - they were so real to me. These issues aren't some fantastical invention of the show's creations. They're things that I've dealt with or people I know have dealt with.
Whether or not people want to believe it, kids really can be that mean. I look back on my early adolescence sometimes and think about what my bullies said to me. It's horrible, honestly. Their words cut like knives and left me scarred for a while. The fact that I'm still thinking about it more than 10 years later should give an indication as to the power of words.
Having this show be so popular right now I think sheds a light on the continuing problem with bullying. Sure, it's sad that it took a Netflix series to teach people not to be mean. That should just be common human decency. But that's not the world we live in. If somebody can learn kindness instead of cruelty by watching a television show, I'm all for it.
There are far too many Hannah Bakers in the world. And the sad part is that a lot of us know them. We see them being pushed out of the main circle of relationships. We see their isolation and slow withdrawal from sociality. But, much of the time, we choose not to do anything.
One of the most important things that "13 Reasons Why" teaches is the repercussions we all can have on each other. You talking to somebody you normally don't may change their whole life. Showing just a little more kindness can make all the difference in the world. Words are extremely powerful. They can destroy or uplift us.
Use your words carefully. Know that people really can be as mean as depicted in this series. Like I said, it's not just some fictional concoction. It's real. It happened to me and countless other people. We are all connected, and our actions can make a real difference, whether that be good or bad.
