1. It shows you the truth: There has been a lot of controversy about the show and whether or not it’s too graphic for some people. I am going to be completely honest. If you are suffering from depression or having suicidal thoughts, please do not watch this show! It might trigger something that happened to you and we all want you to be safe. Now, if you do not have depression or have never had thoughts of suicide – WATCH THIS SHOW! It will give you an insight about what it is like (for some, not everyone) to feel like you have no one to talk to. As someone who has had their own experiences about situations that were discussed in the show, I can say that for me, it was a very close (almost exact) representation of what it is like to go through those experiences.
2. You feel for Hannah, or if you’re like me, you are Hannah: Depending on your experiences, everyone will connect to the show in a different way. While I was watching the show, I relived high school/college all over again. After listening to a tape from Hannah, I would flashback to an experience that I had similar to hers and felt her pain. I saw myself in Hannah. For me, watching the show was a very emotionally draining experience. I started having dreams of the experiences that happened to me, letting all of those emotions come swarming back. When everyone was discussing the show after it premiered, people who never experienced depression, being raped, thoughts of suicide, etc. started asking questions. Those people felt for Hannah! They could never understand what Hannah went through, but they had an understanding of what could happen in those situations. They wanted to know more and become educated.
3. It shows how selfish people can be: (SPOILER ALERT) Most people are selfish to begin with. At the end of the day, the people who you consider your friends are going to think about themselves before they think about you. Before Clay got the tapes, ten other people had the tapes before him. All of them listened to them. Never once did they feel guilty. All they cared about was that the tapes would get out and their futures would be ruined. The only one who really cared, was the one person who (as Hannah said) did not deserve to be on the tapes. If those people cared for Hannah when they needed to, Hannah would still be here today.
4. PLEASE LEAVE, but really please stay: Most people think that when they are upset that they need to be alone. When in reality, sometimes it’s a cry for help! (SPOILER ALERT) During Clay’s tape, Hannah tells Clay to get out, but all Hannah wants from him is to fight for her. To tell her NO, I am staying, but that doesn’t happen. Instead, Clay does what he is told. Now, I can’t speak on behalf of everyone, but I know I do the same thing Hannah did. Instead of talking to my friends or family, I push people away, hoping that they will stay and try to listen. When you get to a point when you feel like you have no one or nothing to live for, you subconsciously make it that way. You push people away because you think that no one wants to deal with you anyway.
5. It shows that Bullying comes in many different forms: Most people believe that bullying can come from saying a few bad names about someone behind their back. That is not the case. Bullying can be online, in person, unintentional, or silent. When I say silent, I mean seeing the bullying happening and not doing anything about it. If you decide to watch this show, you will see that everyone was guilty. Everyone had a role in Hannah Baker’s death. People saw the way she was being treated and didn’t speak up about what was happening. Some people thought it was harmless jokes, but what bothers one person might not bother you and vise versa. If you see someone being bullied, tell someone! Even leaving an anonymous tip helps. Doing anything helps.
If you would like to talk to me and learn about my experiences or hear why I have this point of view, you can shoot me an email at pace@hercampus.com!