By Michelle Hambly
Major controversy has occurred throughout the school due to the new series called “13 Reasons Why.” The show is a Netflix series, based off a novel of the same name by author Jay Asher, about a girl that records 13 tapes of all the reasons that led up to her committing suicide. The show has brought interest to many students in high school. But is all this acknowledgement a good thing or a bad thing?
In an interview with one of Mashpee high schools adjustment counselors, Ms. Almeida, she stated that the show was a good way to get people talking about the topic of suicide because it is a real problem that happens in this day in age. She believes that media is a good way to get teenage attention, but from the students she has spoken with about the show they have all agreed that “13 Reasons Why” is over-dramatized. Ms. Almeida mentioned that, according to research, talking about suicide and showing it does not increase the number of teens that resort to the decision of suicide.
Major controversy has occurred throughout the school due to the new series called “13 Reasons Why.” The show is a Netflix series, based off a novel of the same name by author Jay Asher, about a girl that records 13 tapes of all the reasons that led up to her committing suicide. The show has brought interest to many students in high school. But is all this acknowledgement a good thing or a bad thing?
In an interview with one of Mashpee high schools adjustment counselors, Ms. Almeida, she stated that the show was a good way to get people talking about the topic of suicide because it is a real problem that happens in this day in age. She believes that media is a good way to get teenage attention, but from the students she has spoken with about the show they have all agreed that “13 Reasons Why” is over-dramatized. Ms. Almeida mentioned that, according to research, talking about suicide and showing it does not increase the number of teens that resort to the decision of suicide.
Superintendent Deboer sent out an email to all the staff at MHS with an article from the National Association of School Psychologists about the attention that “13 Reasons Why” is getting. The article mentioned that the show is not good exposure for children, and that help is available to teenagers who are feeling isolated or struggling. Some schools have banned conversation about the series at school because they don't believe the show is a good thing for students to be watching. Ms. Almeida mentioned that younger students should not be exposed to the show.
The show got attention from not only female teens but male teens. A female student at MHS who has been asked to not be named said, ¨I think it's good that high school boys are watching the show because they can finally see what the damage of everything thing they say to girls could eventually lead up to and that even the littlest things can affect a teenage girl's mind.”