Warning: possible spoilers
The media is currently buzzing about a hot new Netflix series, based on the 2007 young adult novel by Jay Asher. 13 Reasons Why follows the journey of high schooler Clay Jansen as he slowly pieces together the thirteen reasons why his close friend, Hannah Baker, committed suicide. Hannah leaves behind chilling voice recordings on tape, with each one dedicated to a specific person. Every person that is mentioned had something to do with her decision to commit suicide. Clay struggles to listen to Hannah’s tapes, knowing that he will soon have to listen to the one dedicated to him.
Unlike many Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why is no easy binge watch. While the storyline is both captivating and suspenseful, the overlying dark tone can’t be ignored. It’s especially hard to watch, knowing that the series will end with Hannah’s death. While some may say the acting is “cheesy,” the show spreads an extremely important message that every teen should hear: you never know what someone else is going through. Teenagers can be particularly mean when they gang up together and often think that their actions are justified, because that’s what “everyone else is doing.” Not only is this attitude ignorant, it can be extremely detrimental. Hannah Baker is suffering, and here’s the saddest part: no one seems to care, or even notice.
If we make the effort to put ourselves into someone else’s shoes, perhaps we can prevent more kids from feeling like Hannah Baker did. Take time out of your day to compliment someone, or just let them know you’re a friendly face they can turn to. For all you know, that person really needed to hear a kind word at that moment. And if you somehow needed another reason to watch, the series was also produced by *queen* Selena Gomez. This series meant a lot to the singer/actress, as she herself has been the target of many unkind words, and has publicly spoken out about the importance of supporting one another.
As crazy as this world may seem right now, we have one thing in control for sure, and that is how we treat others. Use your words and actions for good!