NOTE: SPOILERS IN THIS ARTICLE. One of the most popular television shows right now is the cutting-edge series, “13 Reasons Why.” Originally a novel by Jay Asher, the dark series is about Hannah Baker, 11 high school students and a school guidance counselor. A week before Baker took her own life, she created seven tapes; all two sided, but one. The tapes included her story on why she made her decision, and each person who got the tapes were one of her reasons.
I’ve read the book and watched the series twice. When I first read the book, I was in ninth grade and I loved the concept, but felt it was poorly written. When I found out they were creating a series, I thought that this was exactly what I wanted from the book.
My first reaction to the series was being absolutely obsessed, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I love the soundtrack, characters and the approach to telling the story. Then, I watched it again, and I realized that there’s a lot more detail in this show to pick up.
If you only watch the series once, those details will just fly past your head. What I don’t think the show talks about enough is Baker’s mental illness. She desires therapy, medication and help.
After watching it again, I began to not necessarily feel bad for Baker, but for the kids who were on the tape. It’s not their fault she was mentally ill; however, the show wants you to feel like it was. A lot of the experiences Baker and the other characters go through are similar to what any of us went through in high school, especially when social media became our lifeline.
Those experiences in high school helped us grow and shape who we are. It was almost like the show was glamorizing suicide; I could barely get through the last episode without just wanting to cry and close my eyes.
“I think it does nothing to add to the conversation on mental illness and suicide. It glorifies mental illness and suicide,” Colorado Mesa University student Louis Morales said. “The advisors and teachers were doing nothing to help Hannah or any of the students. It was hard to watch.”
We should all watch it to see what other people go through when they are mentally ill, sexually assaulted, bullied or raped. People can hide their heavy secrets so well. We should all put ourselves in other people’s shoes. I would suggest to anyone to watch the mind-blowing show. Viewers should have open conversations about “13 Reasons Why,” and pay attention to the little details. You never know what you might be missing.
