Recently, the Netflix show "Thirteen Reasons Why" has been all anyone could talk about. Countless fan twitter pages popped up overnight and there were even some memes that came out of the show. I read the book the show was based on, by Jay Asher, and I was very excited for the show to come out. While there were some minor things changed, the overall message stuck to the story. A lot of the things I've seen about the show have been praise for the series. The show highlights important issues such as bullying, rape, and suicide, and many people were happy about how the show handled these issues.
Of course, anytime you get something that handles controversial topics some people are going to be upset. I've seen just about as many angry articles concerning the show as the ones that praise the show. Many of these articles that criticize the show have an issue with how graphic the show is. Admittedly the show does start to get more graphic starting with Tape 5, but the show was doing that in order to tackle these tough issues. The impact could not have been as strong if the show glossed over the details.
I've seen an article pleading with parents to not let their children watch the show. I understand where they are coming from; these scenes are hard to watch, but these scenes are important. Seeing as these issues are things that kids deal with every day, it's very important for this show to be watched. It's also important to talk about the things the show portrays. Watching what happens is one thing, but talking about it is what will ultimately lead to a better understanding of what has happened.
The issues in "Thirteen Reasons Why" need to be talked about. These are not things that happen on TV for dramatic flair. Rape and suicide are very prevalent not only among college-aged students and high schoolers but sometimes even kids younger than those ages. Bullying happens in schools everywhere. The show was not made to glamorize these issues. The show was made to shed light on these issues and promote discussion of them. The series highlights how everything you do has an impact on someone else whether you realize it or not. Your actions, which may seem like a joke or a stretch of the truth, can affect others in a way you didn't think they would.
The end of the show left a lot of unanswered questions. Hopefully, there will be another season to show what happens after, how the characters deal with their trauma after it is out in the open. For those saying children shouldn't watch the show, I think you're wrong. Watch the show with your kids. Talk to them about what happens. Teach them how they can be a kind person. Let them know you'll be there for them if they ever feel like Hannah Baker. "Thirteen Reasons Why" is eye-opening. It needs to be watched and talked about.
