The University of Michigan confirmed in a study that the suicide risks in the country had been significantly increased after the happening of the show 13 Reasons Why.
The study revealed that out of the 87 teens that took the survey, half watched at least some part of the show. Half of these teens who claimed to have watched 13 Reasons why have admitted that it increased their suicidal tendencies.
Another study from the Ohio State University confirmed that in the three months following the release of Netflix 13 Reasons Why, the suicides have increased by almost 30 percent. That would be around 100 suicide deaths between the age groups of 10 and 17 years. This study was conducted in comparison to the previous five years.
For those of you who do not know what the show is about, 13 Reasons Why is a Netflix series that revolves around the female teen protagonist, Hannah Baker who committed suicide due to 13 reasons (more like 13 people?) including rape, abuse among others.
The show received widespread criticism from suicide prevention organizations, mental health organization, and experts, among others, which lead to Netflix flagging more viewer warnings. The reason for this being the show’s narrative and the illustrative depiction of Hannah’s suicide. Some of the graphic scenes reportedly create mental images that stick to your mind, thus increasing the suicidal thoughts for many teens.
There also have been arguments about whether the teens who were previously teetering on edge tended to commit suicide after watching the show. The study also discovered that the suicide rate among girls (22%) lead the guys (12%) by around 10%.
Even under the suicide rate, the biggest increase was seen in hanging and cutting veins. The graphic depiction of Hannah slitting her wrists in the bathroom might have something to do with it (or not?). One can only speculate.
However, not all evidence points to the show being bad for the young society. There have been quite a few controversial studies that claimed about there being a possibility of the suicides having no connection to the show. They argue that one cannot merely blame the show ruling out other possible factors that contribute to the spike in the suicide count.
With that being said, 13 Reasons Why is officially renewed for season 3. The release is expected to happen anytime now. However, the consequences of this on the teen populace is yet to be seen.