Aila Williamson

This series is nowhere near the reality a teen with mental health issues faces. I am writing this as a teen with severe mental health issues and one that has experienced suicidal urges. The reason this show infuriates me so much is that it glorifies and normalizes suicide. it shows teen depression and suicide in a vengeful light and even tries to make it beautiful and "cinematic". here we have Hannah Baker, who struggles with mental health issues. she commits suicide and sends around 13 tapes that include the reasons of her suicide. is this realistic? no. I'm not saying it is impossible. of course, it is possible, through suicide notes, and other alternatives. what I’m saying, is that it portrays suicide as a successful and vengeful action. it glorifies it by keeping Hannah Baker as a ghost, following the characters around and ruining their lives after her death. now, imagine you’re a young teenager watching this idolized, popular Netflix show. AND you struggle with suicidal thoughts and depression, anxiety, etc., that was me. I watched this show when I was younger, I have been struggling all my life with mental health issues, and I’m not saying this show caused me to hurt myself. I’m saying it normalized it to such an extent that it made me think "oh. there's an option that'll work" and yes, at the end of every episode it gives out a message on what to do if you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts. thats good and all, but does it do anything? no. nothing. it does absolutely nothing. if you’re going to try and work to prevent suicide, don't just put a little message and expect it to be okay. I saw those messages, I didn't care. I thought, 'oh but this teen girl benefitted from her choice, and she gets to terrorize the people around her after her death.' in reality, this is absolutely not the mindset of most teenagers who struggle with mental health. I, in no way, use revenge as a reason to consider ending my life. I mean, you glorify suicide to such an extent that it's just unreal. it makes it aesthetic and almost f**king quirky. I and many other people have been affected by this show in a very bad way. it is disgusting, and I’m shocked that it is loved and praised for it portraying mental health issues and brining them to light. you aren't doing that. what you're doing, is normalizing and glorifying it. you’re making it f**king "pretty". just disgusting. horrible and disgusting. shows that realistically approach mental health issues are of course out there. for example, to the bone.