The popular show on Netflix, 13 Reasons Why, has caused controversy over the past two years. 13 Reasons Why is about a high-school student, Hannah Baker, who commits suicide due to various encounters with bullying and harassment. Before Hannah Baker committed suicide, she left behind 13 tapes that she recorded, which included 13 different reasons of why she killed herself. The show continued into a season two, and there are rumors speculating that there will be a season three. So, if this show is as popular as it is, how can it be creating so much controversy? Simply, it is because of the emotional issues addressed.

Some viewers may have gotten the impression that 13 Reasons Why “glorifies” the idea of suicide by making it seem like a viable option, and romanticizing it through a Hollywood plot. The show also depicts graphic scenes of her actual suicide in season one, and rape in both seasons. These graphic scenes can be harmful to viewers, especially those who are survivors of an attempted suicide, or those who lost a loved one to suicide. The reason, however, 13 Reasons Why still has such a large following during this time of controversy is because the topics (bullying, suicide, sexual assault, and rape) are all so relevant in today’s era, and the horrible effects of them should be seen and talked about. The show 13 Reasons Why was released during a time of technology, cyber-bullying, and social media, and it was a perfect opportunity for the show to gain popularity and to be relatable. The producers of 13 Reasons Why took advantage of a perfect opportunity, and seized the moment. In other words, there is strong appeal to kairos.

13 Reasons Why’s appeal to kairos is based off of the type of bullying that was mostly presented in the show. That type of bullying happens to be cyber-bullying, and it is a major problem with today’s youth. Some may think cyber-bullying could never be a problem because “a computer screen could just be turned off”. However, there is so much more to that. Social media plays a big role in how the younger generation views themselves. For example, some may think the amount of followers they have predicts how “popular” they are. Hateful words hurt, especially when you can stare at them for as long as one wants on a glowing screen.

Rape, suicide, and sexual harassment are all unfortunately common topics in today’s world. Not only seeing the effects of bullying, but also seeing the effects of rape, suicide, and sexual harassment  were effective. Since the scenes of these horrifying events were graphic and not “sugar-coated”, a viewer got to see what it was actually like for a person to go through these events. The viewer gets to understand how awful the effects of these events are, and to remember to always treat someone with kindness.

13 Reasons Why creates a strong sense of urgency. It is a cry for immediate help to those who have went through something similar. It is a wake-up call to our youth, and a reminder that we should always be kind to one another. We never know what someone is going through, and after seeing the emotional pain the victim goes through in this show, it motivates people of all ages to take action against it.

Although there is controversy centered around 13 Reasons Why, I believe that this show is important for people to see. The creators of this show do not hold anything back when it comes to topics that people are usually rather uncomfortable talking about. 13 Reasons Why does not notably lack any emotional appeal when trying to present how serious bullying, rape, suicide, and sexual harassment can be.

I did watch season one of 13 Reasons Why, but I chose not to watch season two. This show is very graphic and “heavy” to watch, and I could not handle watching another season of it. The creators do an excellent job of making you feel like you knew Hannah Baker and how she felt. The show, however, motivated me to treat people with kindness more, and to never judge someone. Since this models a lot of other people’s own experience with bullying, I believe that a lot of other viewers will feel the deep emotional impact and will continue to treat others with kindness as well. This show might not have had the same impact it did years ago when social media was not created. Now, many more people can relate to the show in some way. The kairos of 13 Reasons Why is what made this show a huge success.

Trailer of 13 Reasons Why: https://youtu.be/JebwYGn5Z3E