'13 Reasons Why' not for younger audiences, mental health educator says

Self-harming, substance abuse and school shootings. These are just a few of the themes addressed in the new season of Netflix's '13 Reasons Why.'

After the premiere of the first season, the search phrase "how to commit suicide" rose 26 per cent above what would normally have been expected for that time. Searches for"suicide prevention" and "suicide hotline number" also increased by almost 20 per cent, according to an October 2017 study.

Now, the second season which premiered May 18 has viewers wondering if itshould even be seen by younger audiences.

Not for youth?

JennyAlmeida, mental health educator for the Canadian Mental Health Association's Windsor branch, watched the entiresecond season and arrived at one conclusion: the show is not for youth.

"This is adult entertainment, but we know our youth are watching this and that's scary," Almeida said.

The second season opens with a PSA, prompting viewers to seek help if they are triggered by the show's subject matter.

"By shedding a light on these difficult topics, we hope our show can help viewers start a conversation," actress Katherine Langford said in the PSA.

While Almeida applauds the show's effort to spark discussion, she is also concerned with how younger viewers might be influenced by the show's subject matter.

"It's great that they're strongly encouraging [viewers] to reach out get help. And I'm sure it's going to help ... But the show has also increased suicide ideation," said Almeida.

Response of the public board

CharyssePawley, mental health lead for the public board, has seen every episode of the show. She said the board has implemented guidelines on how to point distressed students in the right direction.

"For several years, we've actually been training all our [staff] ... in suicide intervention being able to identify students who are showing those indicators of suicide," Pawley said, adding the board may refer students to services like the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre or the Kids' Help Line.

One of the themes addressed in the show is school shootings. Pawley said the frequency of similar events in the U.S. has been a cause of concern for Windsor's public board.

"Everywhere you turn, there's media around school shootings seemingly on a weekly basis. Season two has, kind of, highlighted this. When shows do that, it concerns me," she said.

Justfor show

Almeidasuggets younger viewers read the 'Thirteen Reasons Why' book before watching its Netflix counterpart. She said the book starts off in a way that can encourage healthy discussions between parents and children.

"And then after, [parents] can say, 'If you want to watch the series, let's watch it together,'" Almeida said. "And then youth are able to say, 'I get it. The series is going to be a little bit different. This is TV. It's entertainment.'"

Netlfix allows parents to restrict their children's access to shows bysetting up a special four-digit PIN code.

"The youth can come up to the parent and ask if they can watch this ... Parents are going to have to watch with [their kids] and speak more about it," said Almeida.