Warning

This post may include strong language regarding suicide.

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Yes, of course, this is where I am starting with an indictment on 13 Reasons Why. Before I start talking about this, we need to clarify one thing.

Copycat Suicide

Or "suicide contagion" is basically when a person is exposed to suicide committed by someone close to them, be it a sibling, a friend, neighbor, or someone they know in general. That exposure leads some to have similar thoughts that lead them to seek the same outcome.

The reason that matters here is that copycat suicide also comes as a result of celebrities' suicide.

Example

One example that I remember clearly because it affected me personally is that of Robin Williams. According to a Reuters report, Robin Williams' suicide was linked to a rise in copycat suicides.

Now, those may seem like just reports until we take the specific case of Kate Spade, American fashion designer and entrepreneur. She was the founder and former co-owner of the designer brand Kate Spade New York, she was also the sister-in-law of actor David Spade.

According to Kate's sister, Kate was obsessed with Robin Williams' suicide. In the end, she ended up doing the same.

The Media's Approach

Robin Williams is, of course, an Oscar winner.
So, it was only normal for the academy to tweet about him.

However.

Since Robin Williams is an Oscar winner, the academy tweeted a picture of the genie from Aladdin (the role he famously played) and said,

“Genie, you’re free.”

It sounds like a great sentimental tweet, doesn't it? However, people with suicidal thoughts like me often got stuck about these things. Those are also the people these depictions and coverage affect the most.

Here's the breakdown of how this looks

Much like Genie, Robin Williams was enslaved. In the case of Genie it was the lamp, but, doesn't that translate to Robin getting enslaved by life? And doesn't that by association means that suicide "freed" him?

I know this is just a passing tweet and I shouldn't credit with so much power, and I don't even though that's how it was to me. But, I am just using it as an example to paint the picture of a bad depiction. A tweet is a tweet, and I am fine with that argument, but what about full-length movies and shows? This leads me to

13 Reasons Why

The justification is in the title itself, the show's approach made it so much worse. The book had its flaws, but it handled it better than this.

The biggest outrage at the time was the suicide scene itself, which I believe was the wrong thing to focus on. In fact, I welcome an approach showing how ugly suicide is, but I digress.

The show neglects any depression treatments and focuses on bullying and horrible events. I don't doubt that those contribute immensely, I know I had those while suffering through certain ordeals. But, to neglect all other causes such as depression, and prevention measures is a big mistake.

The End Result

In a report by CNN and various sites picked from a study done by Fatherly, it shows that:

Google had a 26 percent increase of the search “How to commit suicide”.

What particularly worries researchers about this, is the proven connection between suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

As per the statement from The Observer, with both The Observer and Fatherly quoting the co-author on the study, John W. Ayers of San Diego State University in a statement:

"Psychiatrists have expressed grave concerns, because the show ignores the World Health Organization’s validated media guidelines for preventing suicide.”

So, the idea that the show was "raising awareness about suicide" is an invalid one, and had the show creators actually done some research and listened to actual experts they wouldn't have increased google searches for how to commit suicide by 26%.

Critics may have slammed the show but it was too late. The demographic of the show isn't exactly one to have experts as it is too young and that's the issue.

Being Responsible

Shows and movies creators/producers have got to put more thought into these depictions, an example of that would be BoJack Horseman, a show I hated so far. But, the show always focused on the effect harmful behaviors have on others.

My Final Point

I am not going to blame 13 Reasons Why or a tweet, or media coverage for someone's suicide directly, that's cruel. However, I am not going to excuse such suicide-enabling messages either as there are millions of people watching and tuning in every day.

Having easy soundbite excuses like "raising awareness" or "starting a conversation" is childish and extremely moronic. Playing on the emotions of depressed people to have viewership with shock factors and a sad tone is monstrous.

If you're not equipped and informed about how to make a show or a movie about mental illness, depression, and suicide then simply DO. NOT. DO. IT!