Thirteen Reasons Why

Apr 30

Apr 30 Thirteen Reasons Why

I hope by now you’ve found time to binge watch and finish 13 Reasons why. If you didn’t, go do that first because this post is full of spoilers. Whether you are a teen, teen adjacent, or parent a teen (prayers go out to you, honestly) I am sure you’re left with some… feels afterwards. As a trained Crisis Counselor, a horror movie enthusiast, and someone who read the book first (before it was cool, thank you) I needed a moment to check in and care for myself after I finished, so I’d advise everyone to do the same. This series hit me hard so here are my thoughts on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good

·Bullying has always been a topic at schools but it’s usually over or under sold. I think the conversations were pretty spot on for current high school issues (sexting, slut shaming etc.) and how they can seem all encompassing and lead to something like suicide and depression.

·The creators didn’t stray away from this topic (like most do) just because it is difficult, and should be commended for trying. In creating a global resource page and adding Beyond The Reasons at the end where experts weighed in, they gave mental health the stage that it has been desperately lacking in the public eye.

The Bad

·The episodes were just. So. Long. They could have been half as long and just as effective. Unsure who can focus for 52 minutes straight on something so dark, was pretty draining. I found myself switching back and forth in between something lighter (Schitt’s Creek for those wondering), just so I could get through it.

·`Speaking of things being too long, the rape scenes. No matter how they would have portrayed them it would have been triggering and tough to watch but watching the life drain out of Hannah’s eyes gave me a visceral reaction. You’ll never be prepared to see a rape or a suicide but as a jaded 20- something who unfortunately had some experience with this in real life, it threw me into a dark place.

The Ugly

·The directors and cast made it a point to say that they wanted these scenes to be raw and make the viewer uncomfortable. Uncomfortable is one thing but giving a step by step tutorial is another. This show is aimed at teens who, speaking from prior and scientific experience, have not reached maturity yet. Regardless of what teens may physically look like nowadays (I know, I know, hold my walker) there are parts of the brain that are still forming well in to the mid-twenties. Knowing that suicide ideation (having suicidal thoughts) is contagious and then giving impressionable teens (and the teen adjace) a how-to doesn’t sit well with me.

·While doing my daily five-mile scroll (gotta keep the twitter fingers strong), I noticed someone bring up a point about 13 Reasons glorifying suicide. Looking in to this further, I noticed a lot of people felt this way. By focusing so much on how guilty the subjects of her tapes felt, and Hannah getting the reaction she was looking for, suicide is posed as revenge

Regardless of how you feel about TRW, it started an important conversation about bullying, suicide and depression but the real work starts afterwards. If you were a teen, are one, or know one, use this show to start a conversation. If you don’t know where to start SAVE.org made a list of talking points. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but it’s about time we start talking about this. No more excuses, we have to take our mental states seriously.

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My face when my coworker says he’s feeling ‘so ADD right now’.🙄 This happened a month ago but I see a lot of people saying it now that they’re working from home. Having ADHD means SO much more than not being able to concentrate. 💩, I wish that was my only problem 😭. Fun Fact: There is a movement to rename ADHD/ADD to Executive Function Disorder which encompasses way more symptoms of ADHD that people forget about. Like low impulse control, disorganization, trouble planning and prioritizing, low frustration tolerance, rejection sensitivity, hyper focus, etc etc. So if you’re struggling with #WFH consider its because you’ve thrown out of your normal schedule and are dealing with a lot of fear and uncertainty that’s making it hard to concentrate on the work in front of you! It’s a huge adjustment and we’re all understandably struggling with it (but it’s prob not ADD) #theellery #mentalhealthmatters #adhd

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Wrote some words for those who need them. Linked in Bio or TheEllery.com/kobebryant #theellery #ripkobe

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