Netflix Show “13 Reasons Why” Increased Suicide Rates In US Teens, According To A New Study

Netflix Show “13 Reasons Why” Increased Suicide Rates In US Teens, According To A New Study
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New research revealed that there is an increase in suicide rates in the US teens following the release of the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why,” which tells the story of a teenager who committed suicide and left behind a box of recordings which explain her decision to take her own life.

However, the series has been receiving incredibly numerous criticisms, with experts and school representatives saying that the show is promoting suicide and desensitizing youths to mental health problems. Researchers now revealed the numbers were correlating the Netflix show with adolescent suicide.

A New Study is Linking the Netflix Show “13 Reasons Why” To INcreased Suicide Rates

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has published a study in which researchers explain how suicide rates amidst youths aged 10 to 17 ​escalated in a concerning rise by 28.9% in April 2017, which is the month following the release of “13 Reasons Why.” These numbers are the highest registered so far in any single month, over five years of research.

Lisa Horowitz, the study author and a clinical scientist from the NIMH Intramural Research Program explained that the result of this study should raise the awareness again regarding young people being especially vulnerable to the media. The media mainly but other disciplines as well need to be constructive and thoughtful about the material that intersects with health crises, she added.

The study contained the analyzed data on suicide cases of people aged 10 to 64 between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017. The month following the first season of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why,” had the highest suicide rates among the youth. Besides, suicide rates also surpassed expectations for the rest of the year with an extra 195 suicide deaths than shown in prior years’ data and trends.

However, the study has its limitations, especially the quasi-experimental design the researchers used. That means that a powerful link cannot be made entirely between the series and the increase in suicide deaths.

What Netflix Says About The Recent Study

Netflix commented saying that they are aware of the research and are currently reviewing it. The spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters that they worked hard to ensure that the sensitive matter is handled with ​responsibility​​.

However, Netflix has already officially renewed “13 Reasons Why” for its third season.


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