Before I get into the reasons behind my choice when it comes to the popular Netflix series, I want to make it absolutely clear that this article is only to open up discussion and to put my voice on the matter out there. This is not an opportunity for you to tell me why I'm wrong or vice versa.

I also want to include there may be spoilers for those who haven't finished seasons one and two.

Topics in this article may be traumatizing for some readers, so please use discretion before reading.

Netflix debuted 13 Reasons Why March 31, 2017, and I was immediately interested in watching it because mental health is something that is very near and dear to my heart. The Netflix series has captured the hearts of millions of young adults across the world, but I am not one of them. This show has divided the world into two groups when it comes to this show, those who applaud it for starting a discussion about mental illness and those who feel it has started a very incorrect dialogue.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people, taking approximately 4,400 lives per year. We have to talk about mental illness in our youth, but I don't think 13 Reasons Why is the mouthpiece we should be using.

As someone who has dealt with depression and seen others deal with the same disease, I don't believe this show truly depicts how angry, ruthless, and soul-capturing depression really is. Clinical depression doesn't care who you are, how much money you have, or how happy your life is. You can go from being a happy-go-lucky person to wondering if your life is worth living in a matter of months for no reason other than the disease that crept in and took over.

While I think it's awesome that this show wants to spread the message that being kind could save a life, that isn't what really stands out to me about this show. What stands out to me is how Hannah, someone who was unpopular and almost invisible, soars into popularity and infamy only in death. Is that really a message we want to send to our young people? If people are mean to you, you should kill yourself to "show them" and have them cry and lay flowers at your graveside wishing they had treated you better? I don't want these kids to think that suicide is a way to gain power over someone else.

I was bullied ruthlessly as a kid because I was an easy target; I was overweight and easy to step on and people took advantage of that. I want to start a dialogue on the dangerous epidemic that bullying has become. Mental health and bullying are two colossal problems that need to be handled separately to truly give them the attention they deserve.

So, if you are dealing with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, please visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call 18002738255. Life is beautiful and it's worth living.