“13 Reasons Why” is arguably one of the most popular shows to binge watch right now. Here are 13 reasons why you should watch it on Netflix tonight.
1. Because you totally read the book in middle/high school.
2. It’s on Netflix, so you can binge watch all 13 episodes in two days.
3. There are so many attractive male actors in this series. (Dylan Minnette, Ross Butler, Christian Navarro? Um, yes!)
4. Hannah is not just the beautiful dead love interest. She’s intelligent and well-rounded. Actually, all of the characters are three-dimensional and unique, making it a very interesting show.
5. “13 Reasons Why” is not Disney-fied. The show talks about real high school drama without making it cute like the Disney Channel does. (This isn’t “Cyberbully” from 2011!) There’s cursing, sex, bloody fights; all the real, rough things that happen in high schools across the country. It takes those issues and tells them truthfully.
6. The romance plot won’t make you vom. It’s sweet without being overpowering.
7. The show talks about bullying in a mature way. We’ve all had “anti-bully” lectures or workshops before, but this really shows the devastation caused by gossip and bullying.
8. Although Tony is a questionable character, his car is #goals.
9. With the inclusion of cassette tapes and Walkman’s, you get a bout of nostalgia for the days when you’d pop in your favorite tape and jam with your crappy Sony headphones.
10. The background music in the show is great. I’d definitely listen to it in a playlist on Spotify or even on a tape.
11. There are many educational aspects of the show. One example is that it teaches its viewers what consent actually looks like, as well as what is not counted as consent.
12. Another example of how the show educates its viewers is through the display of mental illness. Hannah is a classic example of depression and Clay is an example of anxiety. Both are very serious mental illnesses that are socially stigmatized and stereotyped, but the show portrays them in a realistic way.
13. It educates its viewers about suicide and the pain that is left behind when someone does commit suicide. Suicide is a very sad and triggering topic, but the producers have presented the subject in a way that shows all aspects of suicide.
Warning: This show can be very triggering for those who have been affected by suicide or mental illness, so viewer discretion is advised for graphic and triggering content.