13 Reasons Why was emotional, depressing, and a very real take on bullying, sexual assault, and suicide. Unfortunately, the show does not touch too much on mental illness and depression, but it is insinuated that Hannah suffers from depression and is not receiving the treatment she needs (hence her suicidal tendencies). Despite the show’s very triggering images, a few memes have appeared out of the show – jokes that should not exist.
I don’t appreciate the jokes like this about 13 Reasons Why. If you have watched or read 13 Reasons Why, you would know that the story focuses on Hannah Baker, a high school girl that took her own life and leaves behind 13 tapes as to why she did it. This show is literally about a girl who is struggling from such a severe mental illness that she is driven to suicide, and I don’t feel like jokes regarding someone’s suicide (even if that someone is a fictional character) are appropriate.
When someone struggles from mental illness, things that are seemingly meaningless to others can trigger you and worsen your depression. Maybe to you, someone not handing you a pencil is no big deal, but to others struggling with social anxiety it might feel like a severe rejection. The events that the various memes center on might seem small to you, but to someone battling suicidal ideations it can be a BIG deal. As someone with a mental illness, I can easily say this is something I have experienced. If my boyfriend bails on our lunch plans on one of my bad mental health days this might leave me spiraling and feeling unloved and unwanted. Research tells us that people struggling with mental illness, specifically anxiety and depression, often struggle with cognitive vulnerabilities, like dysfunctional attitudes. Dysfunctional attitudes refer to the maladaptive thoughts or errors in thinking, which often occur as a result of a distorted interpretation of a situation. I think this is something to keep in mind before judging someone’s reaction to a seemingly minor situation.
Even more important, every single person on Hannah’s tapes hurt her in some way or another that is much more severe than these memes would let on. It wasn’t that she just didn’t get a pencil – she was stalked, used, bullied, and raped. It wasn’t just an “overreaction”. Hannah went through hell, and memes like these devalue all of the experiences that led to Hannah’s suicide. Bullying is not a joke. Rape is not a joke. Suicide is not a joke. Let’s not make it one.