Most people now have Netflix and a lot of those people enjoy it for the tv shows and movies they offer to subscribers. If you didn’t know, Netflix also has their own original shows you can check out. One of those is causing quite the controversy these days: “13 Reasons Why”. Its a story about a teenage girl who commits suicide. Hannah, the teen, creates 13 tapes that she asks a friend to release once she’s gone, about how certain people in her life and their actions led to her decision. It deals with cyber bullying, elitist mentality, rape, suicide, and other intense topics. My daughter is only 5 so fortunately I’m not at the point where I am worrying about those things but I know I soon will be so I decided to watch it. I have to say I thought it was a fantastic show. From a parent perspective I thought it realistically showed what high school can be like, especially for girls,the real pressures they face, and how much parents may not know about their kids, even if they have a good relationship with them.
So why the controversy? Some experts believe the show glamorizes suicide and could create a “copycat mentality” for teens who are going through similar issues in their lives. Others believe it’s insensitive to the mental health community. I can see both sides of the argument and as much as I would recommend this to a parent, I’m not sure I would let a young teen watch it and if they did it should be with a parent.
Whether your teen has already watched it, wants to watch it, or isn’t sure, here are 13 reasons why parents should watch it and why teens might need to skip it. Check it out and then decide for yourself.
