13 Reasons Why Netflix Should Be Ashamed.

If we want this world to succeed, everyone has a role to play and EVERYONE needs to pitch in and do their part.

If you don't know about the show 13 Reasons Why, last year it was released on Netflix about a girl who commits suicide and sparked outrage across the country by parents and school administrators. There were protests, angry letters, newspaper articles, news stories, and blog posts.

I try not to get on a soap box too often but this is a topic that I oddly feel very passionate about. I was talking to a friend yesterday about the show and we were both absolutely appalled they went through with Season 2. We both discussed the effect it had on us, our friends and society as a whole.

I watched the first season at 27 years old. At 27 years old, I saw 3 scenes that were the most traumatic and affecting scenes I had ever witnessed and wish with everything I have that I could remove them from my mind. My friend expressed similar sentiments and we both felt that as young adults, to feel that way after a television show is extremely concerning. But for teenagers to see these kind of scenes and then the vivid suicide? I am not necessarily in favor of censorship but there is still a line that should not be crossed and Netflix crossed it.

The show was meant, according to producers (including Selena Gomez), to show the effects of teen suicide and how it hurt those around them but it did quite the opposite despite their “noble” attempts. Hannah Baker enacted perfect revenge after her death and no one was sad except Clay and her family. The rest only felt guilt and fear as they tried to cover up the roles they played that they only knew about because of the accusatory tapes she left behind. And then to top it off, they show the entire death scene and left nothing to the imagination.

Hannah Baker achieved what ever troubled teenager who contemplates suicides dreams of, to destroy the people who got them to that point. It gave those contemplating this life and death decision hope that they could accomplish the same thing. It glorified the action and actually encouraged the behavior. If you don’t believe me go look up the statistics. Google searches for how to commit suicide, how to kill yourself , teen suicide, etc., increased by 20%, 19 days after the show was released. (they took out anything related to suicide squad for the statistic). That’s upwards of an additional 1.5 million searches in 19 days.

There were even some copycat attempts reported that included taped recordings and all.

Why are we not more concerned ?!

The fact the second season was produced with the shootings that had already occurred was incredibly poor judgement and could be excused as such but now that it has been released in light of all of the teen shootings that have happened in the past year, is a sign of pure greed and a lack of empathy or respect for what we are dealing with as a nation, individual communities, and people.

They claim it combats bullying but it is not stopping anyone. It is merely glamorizing the perpetrators on both sides.

Yesterday, Netflix announced that in wake of the Texas high school shooting, they were canceling the premier event but not Season 2. Canceling the premier was necessary but also a slap in the face, not good enough Netflix! Step up and do your part.

If we want this world to succeed, everyone has a role to play and EVERYONE needs to pitch in and do their part.

To pretend that the media doesn’t have any influence over us is naive but we are now subjecting our children and teenagers to it and no one is warning them about the impact these messages can have.

When I was eight, I was going to dance to a Spice Girls song with my friends in the school talent show (in hind site, it was a Catholic school and I am SHOCKED they even let us consider this...we were 8! lol). My mother sat down and talked with me about what that song was about and what it meant. Then she asked me what I thought about it based on everything I had been taught up to that point. I told her I didn’t think it was a good message or one I should live by. Then she asked me what I was going to do about.

That is a VERY hard thing to ask an eight year old. I didn’t want to not dance with my friends or get made fun of for telling them I couldn’t support the song but I decided for myself that I didn’t think it was an appropriate message. I had also come to that conclusion by myself (with a little guidance from my mother) and the truth was, I didn’t agree with the choice.

So I told my friends I wouldn’t dance with them but would be supportive of that choice and you know what? Three out of the four girls followed me because they had been feeling the same way and didn’t want to say anything.

How often do we know that something in our lives is not good for us, and yet we do nothing?

That one event was life changing. It was the hardest decision that I had ever made in my eight years of living but the lesson has stayed with me throughout my entire life.

So I write this in hopes that enough people eventually speak up or boycott the show and start holding Hollywood accountable for the content they produce. Whether we like to believe it or not, it does affect us and we should start speaking up about what we want to see rather than be told what we are going to see.

And of they want the changes that they publicly promote, then it starts with them-and we need to start holding them accountable.

Here is an applicable and cliché quote to end my message.