Suicides and More Suicides | What 13 reasons why teaches us | Currently Globally Opinion

\”13 reasons why\” is the recent rage and youngsters all around the world go ga-ga about it and certain reports say suicide hotline calls are increasing in countries after this series. This Netflix original TV series is based on the novel of the same name by Jay Asher and it is about the recently dead teenage girl named Hannah Baker.

The storyline is about 7 tapes Hannah Baker recorded shortly before committing suicide about 13 reasons or incidents that pushed her to this end. Both the novel and the TV series is critically acclaimed and the TV series is revered as a cult within a short span of time.

But, this isn\’t an official review of the TV series or the novel but, this is an opinion or analysis Currently Globally has or done about the core concept of the Novel/TV series and what \”Thirteen reasons why\” actually teaches us.

Hannah Baker, the lead character is pushed to suicide immediately after one big dark incident that happens in her life, but, why does she record 13 sides of 7 tapes instead of 1 single tape detailing the final horrific incident? That is the question we are going to ponder here.

Every human has a threshold in handling problems and shocks and even a very sensitive human has a minimum threshold. People do not commit suicide just because one unfortunate day, their parents scolded them or one fine day, the love of their life cheats and moves on. But, people commit suicide when their spirit and desire to live are slowly stripped off and they are pushed to a state slowly where they do not trust anyone in the whole world.

In short, suicide is a multiple-steps process and people are pushed into it based on multiple incidents and not based on one final incident they actually write in their suicide note. But, if there are multiple steps, why couldn\’t one stop them? Because of following two things,

Nobody to talk to.

Not meeting somebody they can talk with.

The above sentences despite similar meaning are completely different. Nobody to talk to means most people are lonely and in particular, teenagers and celebrities are afraid to talk with anyone about their inner feelings, what hurt them and what runs through their mind. Teenagers do that because of adolescence and celebrities because of distrust.

Next thing I meant was, Not meeting somebody they can talk with i.e., the designated person one can talk with, a shrink – a psychiatrist. But, the social stigma in most countries, India, in particular, makes one scared about meeting a psychiatrist. Someone who meets a shrink in India can be a retard or psycho by Indian standards. Unless the stigma changes, celebrities who are under constant scrutiny and teenagers who are shit confused about their lives have no way for proper relief and they will move towards the end they feel is the end.

Also, one another thing 13 reasons why beautifully highlighted was the inability of school counselors in dealing with students psychological problems. The person in the story tries hard to convince Hannah Baker, but he lacks the professional expertise and the conviction that is required to handled confused teenagers in the peak of adolescence. Think about the colleges and schools that you studied in, do you think they had a properly equipped counselor? We don\’t think so.

Unless the social stigma changes and proper counseling is provided, suicides will definitely increase. Celebrities and teenagers, the ones more prone to suicides need to talk and need to be motivated to talk and the awareness to meet psychiatrists has to be increased in multiple folds. Deepika Padukone recently revealed that she went through depression and depression needs to be treated and not hidden. Currently Globally reiterates the same thing and 13 reasons why highlights the same things, which we need to realize and change.

P.S. 13 reasons why as a series is criticized for romanticizing suicides but, that is for another day.

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