Why is the Netflix original, 13 Reasons Why, such a popular show for teens? The show is based off a book about Hannah Baker, a teen who committed suicide and left ‘13 reasons why’ she killed herself in tapes. Each tape includes what specific people did to push her over the edge. Clay, one of the main characters, is one of the last people on the tapes, the tapes were passed to each person included in them and were told to pass them off to the next person after they had listened to all 13.

So, why is this show so relatable for teens? I mean, we’d like to assume that nobody is suicidal where we go to school, right? Well, that might not be the reason why.

An argument has been made that 13 Reasons Why encourages suicide because after the victim is gone, everyone became very sad and wished she was back. In theory, this is the most desirable effect of committing the act of suicide.  Some would say this triggers some of the people who are at high risk. Others would say this show romanticizes Hannah’s suicide and could create room for copycat suicides.

On the opposing side, the show could be relatable because it shows what it’s really like inside of a high school. The show also shows what is happening to these students and how other students are treating them to make them feel this way. “Bullying and harassment are real things. They happen in school all the time, but rarely does it seem that it’s called out. Because of this I believe 13 Reasons Why brings awareness to viewers, and helps them spot the signs and see the outcomes.” said freshman Hannah Bailey.

Wyoming leads the nation in suicide rates so it is not unreasonable to say 13 Reasons Why  is a likely scenario.

“13 Reasons Why is relatable because everyone has been treated like crap or has treated someone like crap, and that is accurately depicted in the show. A lot of us are suicidal and I know I have experienced a large majority of what’s happened in the book.” said senior Brittney Steele. Steele has been working on a project for English that has to do with teen suicide in Wyoming specifically.

Another reason that teens are finding this show relatable is because, even if viewers don’t relate to Hannah, they can relate to another character’s feelings, or what they did to Hannah.

“13 Reasons Why is relatable because… It’s raw. People either experience part of it, a vast majority of it, or very very close to all of it. Teens find the character they are most like and can say  “no one wants to admit it happens.”

“It’s almost a ‘see no evil speak no evil.’ In the end this show is something we can invest in, at the end of the day we know it’s fake, but we can wonder what we’d do if it ever happened here,” said sophomore Abby Baker.

Natalie Ross, a junior said, “13 Reasons Why is very relatable for me. I personally know how it feels to be guilty, or feel guilty for someone at least trying to kill themselves. I have also felt isolated and alone in my feelings and where I was going in life similar to Hannah.”

This show is something that is touching lives all around the world, and these are just reponses from kids inside of Kelly Walsh High School. The effect of the show is real. The things that happen in the show are real. So what do you think, is 13 Reasons Why only romanticizing suicide? Or, is it raising awareness for other students’ warning signs and the warning signs within students themselves?