Last year in March, the first season of “13 Reasons Why” was released on Netflix. It was based on the book by the same title written by Jay Asher. There was so much controversy surrounding the episodes that told the tale of Hannah Baker’s struggle with relationships, friendships, mental health, and life in general.

Eventually, Hannah chose to commit suicide and leave behind 13 tapes for the people that impacted her life. A few weeks after the show was released, there was talk about a season two and after taking in the whole season, I knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.

I watched this series last year probably a week after it came out and after I had seen how much buzz was coming from it. I was aware it focused on suicide, a topic that can be extremely triggering for some individuals.

I’m attending college to be a social worker and I know that talking about suicide doesn’t automatically mean others will try to replicate the situation depicted on the show, but I was still nervous. So going into it, I was very wary of the series. I knew there was a book, that was written 10 years prior, that it was based on and I hoped that the directors and author had created something that would spark a much-needed conversation about mental health.

Instead, I watched a show unfold that glamorized suicide and depression and made 11 students feel personally responsible for a choice Hannah made.

In a world where students are told to #WalkUpNotOut and feel unnecessarily responsible for their classmates’ mental health, seeing a show that supports that narrative is dangerous.

Hannah listing her old friends as reasons for her death isn’t constructive. Displaying this for the watchers of the show isn’t healthy either.

This coming season is going to focus more on the aftermath of Hannah’s death and all the smaller stories from each person that was on the tapes. Hannah’s parents are fighting for justice for their daughter and there will be new characters as well as many legal proceedings.

This season isn’t based on a book and no one knows what to expect. And in my opinion, the show didn’t need a second season. At this point, the show is just looking for views and will probably end up doing more harm than good.

The first season of “13 Reasons Why” had disclaimers and hotline numbers at the beginning of the episodes, as well as a debriefing episode with the actors, directors, and other important people involved in the show. These things were appreciated from my standpoint, but I’m sure a lot of people didn’t even notice them.

A lot of the individuals that I have talked to have said that they were interested in the show for the drama, and who wouldn’t be? It was 13 episodes long, had suspense, pretty Hollywood actors and actresses, and it was focused on a topic that has been talked about in the media a lot lately.

But what you get from people not seeing the glaring problems with this show and storyline are fake woke individuals preaching about suicide and mental health.

For a few weeks after the show aired, everyone on social media was talking about mental health and how Clay could have saved Hannah and how people need to look out for everyone’s mental health. After a few months, the hype died down and no one was talking about the show or the real problems acted out. I have a feeling this will all start again in a couple weeks.

The second season was released this past Friday on Netflix but it won’t be worth your time. If you want to actually do something for the people struggling with mental health, support organizations that distribute resources and information about counseling/therapy, medication coverage, as well as just spreading awareness.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and there is so much to be done to help, educate, and destigmatize mental health.

If you’re looking for referrals to mental health or health resources and services, call 211. If you need to talk to someone right now and are worried you might turn to suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Number 1-800-273-8255.