'13 Reasons Why' will screw you up (and that's okay)

Charina Urban
May 2, 2017
3 min read

Okay, I'll admit it. I gave in. I jumped on the Netflix bandwagon and binge watched 13 Reasons Why.

To say this series has taken the world by storm would be an understatement. There is so much controversy, debate, and back and forth regarding the immense darkness of this show that even I couldn't help but see what all the commotion was about. Me; a person living with and facing an anxiety disorder everyday, thought it would be good to curl up on my couch and press play horrifying episode after horrifying episode.

I knew what I was getting myself into. Or at least I thought I had did.

Let me be honest here. I have had a stomach ache for the last week. Some of those images replay in my mind over and over again until I think I'm going to throw up. My chest feels tight and all I want to do is listen to happy music and watch stupid sitcoms.

13 Reasons Why has without a doubt, SCREWED ME UP.

And while some people are probably thinking, "exactly! no one, especially our kids should be watching this!" I can't help but think, maybe, THAT'S THE POINT.

This show was not created to give you a laugh. It was not meant to lift you up or help you have a better day. It wasn't written to be mindless noise in the background while you do homework or clean the house.

No. This 13 Reasons Why was written and put on your Netflix account to screw you up. To challenge you. To make you finally face the demons and taboos nobody wants to talk about until it's too late. To make you realize that EVERYTHING you do and say impacts someone. Whether you know it or not.

There's just something about this show. Part of you wants to turn on something else, anything else. But at the same time, you can't take your eyes off the screen.

I'll confess, I did not watch the part that showed Hannah ending her life. I couldn't do it. Instead, I hid under a blanket and plugged my ears so I wouldn't have to imagine what I knew was happening. I had seen enough torture and evil for one week and I simply couldn't take any more. But every other minute of the show, I watched. In horror, and sometimes with every part of my body screaming at me to find something else to play. I sat on my couch with my husband and sister and watched.

By no means, do I think kids should be watching this. It is extremely graphic and eerily dark. And most kids will face something like this so why make them see more of it when they come home? If you battle anxiety and/or depression, I also want to make sure you know what you're getting into before you hit play. It is tough to watch and I assure you, IT WILL leave you scarred.

I know I am.

But I think there is an important message delivered through the pain that is 13 Reasons Why. One that needs to be heard and seen. Personally, I am already much more conscious with my words. I'm trying to be more aware of the people around me and how I respond to them. And I want to make a deliberate effort to teach my son to respect others, be kind to everyone he comes in contact with, and make sure he knows there are two people in this world that will always love him.

So, be kind. Talk to your kids. And I mean really, talk to them. Listen and love hard.

I'm sure you don't need a reason for that.