13 Reasons Why

The American teen drama series 13 Reasons Why was first released on March 31, 2017. The drama was released at a time when college bullying was on the rise. According to a 2017 survey, more than twenty percent of college students have been bullied verbally, physically, or emotionally resulting to depression, anger, stress and suicide as in the case of Hannah, the protagonist in the series (Ditch The Label). Following its release, the drama series received positive reviews with critics praising it for the cast’s performance, comprehensive storyline, good visuals, as well as the mature approach the producers used to deliver a dark subject to the society.

Ideally, the creators of the show wanted to deliver the themes of repercussions, cause, and effect. From Hannah’s tapes, it is evident that one person’s actions determine the actions of the people around them.
The focus of the show was on college students, both male, and females. The show portrays how the student’s feelings, emotions, and actions are influenced by the people surrounding them. Although some critics rate the show as appropriate and educative to the society, educators and school psychologists raised the alarm regarding the influence of the show on the students. Some warned that after watching the show, a significant population of the students developed the attitudes of the protagonist in the 13 Reasons Why (Balingit). The resulting attitudes that developed after watching the show forced film regulatory authorities to restrict its viewership.

Despite the controversies and criticism over the suicide and harm portrayal in the show, 13 Reason Why effective delivered its purpose. The performances were grounded, and the storytelling techniques were powerful. The viewership of the show was high as more than a hundred million viewers watching watched at least one episode of the series (Spangler).

In conclusion, the drama 13 Reasons Why utilizes the UGT theory and the cultivation theory to deliver a critical message to the society. The producers appropriately used the film to show the rising cases of bullying in colleges and its effects. These effects include depression, increased risks of substance abuse, as well as suicide.

Work cited
Balingit Moriah. “Educators and school psychologists raise alarms about ‘13 Reasons Why.” The Washington Post, May 2, 2017. Accessed (March 20, 2018) https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/educators-and-school-psychologists-raise-alarms-about-13-reasons-why/2017/05/01/bb534ec6-2c2b-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html?nid&utm_term=.dec0eb111322Ditch The Label. “Annual Bullying Survey 2017.” DitchtheLabel.org, July 2017. Accessed (March 20, 2018) https://www.ditchthelabel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-Annual-Bullying-Survey-2017-1.pdfSpangler Todd. “Netflix’s ‘Marvel’s The Defenders’ Poised for Binge-Viewing Pop, Data Indicates.” Variety.com, August 18, 2017. Accessed (March 20, 2018) https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-marvel-the-defenders-binge-viewing-data-ratings-1202532453/