Back in March Netflix premiered a series called 13 Reasons Why. Originally, I had no
idea what the show was about until I later learned it was about the suicide of
a young teenager who took her own life, after enduring bullying from some of her
cruel peers. The main character, Hannah Baker, records 13 cassette tapes
narrating all the events that led to her suicide. I felt drawn and
especially connected to the series, as I was bullied in middle school. Middle
school was a rough season for me, and as much as I tried to just get through it,
it wasn’t easy. I got picked on for things like the way I looked, the clothes I
wore, being a Christian, and for my many failed attempts with trying to be
accepted by the cool kids. And just
when I thought I’d get a fresh start in high school, one of the guys on the
football team humiliated me in front of a crowd of my peers when he called me a
loser, and said that I was a nobody that
sucked at life. What was wild about that particular incident is that one, just
one, other guy who saw what was happening stepped in and said, stop, don’t talk to her like that. A lot of the other people that were
around were silent, while some opted for laughter and thought it was the
funniest thing they’d ever seen. I took off in tears and bawled up in the girl’s
locker room, while one of my friends tried to help calm me down. She said, don’t believe any of the things he said.
None of what he said about you is true. It was an ugly incident but I got
over it. After all, it was high school. The silver lining in what happened was that it happened before smartphones hit the scene, so at least I didn't have to relive what happened over and over again.
While my struggle wasn’t as heavy as
the shows main character, Hannah Baker, I could resonate with some of the things
she went through (being the new girl, growing apart from friends, dealing with
the repercussions of rumors, and trying to weather the storms of adolescence) and
it was a reminder of how much I don’t miss being a teenager. If anyone has already
seen the series, I guarantee that you’d likely be able to identify a number of the
different characters who reflected some of the people you may have attended
high school with. Hannah Baker is the kind of girl I could’ve seen myself being
best friends with, and her friend Clay Jensen (who I was rooting for her to get
together with) was the kind of guy I would’ve loved to date in high school. I was surprised to learn that a
number of critics and parents were upset with the show, due to some of the
graphic and mature content, but the dark parts of the show shed light on some
troubling truths. I’ve never seen a
series that highlighted the effects and tragic aftermaths of bullying like 13 Reasons Why. There were some nights
that I didn’t sleep well after watching some of the heavier episodes, because they
left me speechless, but the reality is, a lot of teenagers have taken their own
lives because of bullying and because they don’t feel like things will ever get
better. When I was in middle school, I couldn’t wait until I’d be off to high
school. Things did eventually get
better once I went to God, prayed more, started going to counseling, and found ways
to cope. I’m not haunted by the different things that happened, because even
when things were bad, I knew they wouldn’t go on forever. I’m an adult now, but
I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a teenager these days. 13 Reasons Why may be a scripted show, but
it’s a cautionary tale of some of the things happening with teenagers now, and
how unfortunate the consequences can be when things like bullying continue to
happen.