A Takeaway from "13 Reasons Why"

CEBU, Philippines - "Everyone is just so nice until they drive you to kill yourself," says the 17-year old Clay Jensen in the Netflix's new original teen drama, “Thirteen Reasons Why.” It draws its plot from Jay Asher’s 2007 young-adult novel of the same title.

Aimed for the teenage audience, the show centers on suicide prompted by sexual assault, slut-shaming, bullying in the hostile school environment – which makes no wonder why the show has become such a popular hit after its release on March 31.

With a thirteen-episode count that matches its title, each installment chronicles the cassette tapes which contain the audio recording of a teen, Hannah Baker, explaining how things led her to kill herself. The persons who have something to do with her suicide received the tapes and listened to them, figuring out their mistakes, one after another, and their disability to compensate these now that she's gone.

Just like any other shows, it garners public praise and controversy all at once. But "Thirteen Reasons Why", above all else, sparks a more crucial, sensitive, and life-and-death discussions particularly to shed light to the importance of life.

The show stimulates conversation about awareness to suicide, that it's real and serious and that people can do something to stop it. Hannah's death teaches everyone the lesson of compassion, empathy, and sensitivity. It magnifies the gravity of small actions – how they largely impact other people’s lives.

But the series may also be unintentionally glamorizing the notion of suicide, how Hannah was brought to public attention because of her own undoing, and how friends and relatives came after her with remorse and a missed chance to make up for their own mistakes.

Somehow, the deceased teen may receive a lot of affirmations about how important she was, which could generate an idea to depressed teenagers that there is something tragically beautiful about suicide, that it may be an effortless form of revenge. Therefore, a show like this shall only be watched by teenagers with guidance from responsible adults.

Truly, the influence of media has become an instrument for various interpretations of reality. While “13 Reasons Why” may have intended to highlight how important it is to be sensitive, empathetic, and loving – it can also be taken to suggest the dark options everyone has. Je C. Ycong (FREEMAN)