Why 13RW Resonated With Teens

And Gained Worldwide Popularity

The last season of the Netflix Original series is now streaming. ‘13 reasons why is an American teenage drama, revolving around 17-year-old Clay Jensen, a junior at Liberty High School, close friends with Hannah Baker, who ultimately killed herself as she became the victim of her high school gossip, bullying and even sexual assault by one of her own classmates. Here is why the show resonated with teens and gained worldwide popularity:

Modern Day Issues:

The show addresses the modern-day issues faced by a student, be it bullying at school, being the central object of the school gossip, complicated love life, problems at home (financial issues or parents going through a divorce) or anything else problematic enough for that matter which puts an individual’s mind at fix, which again, according to the adult’s is ‘Nothing to really worry about’ because in no time one will get over it. But the things they don’t understand is, it compromises one’s mental health leading to anxiety, depression, and anger issues which manifest upon itself until rectified.

Served as a Voice for Teens:

Courtesy this splendid series, teenagers across the globe finally understood that the problems they face every day in school or elsewhere is common and that it’s not something strange they are dealing with. This gave them the confidence to open up more about the problems at hand and finally get some help regarding it.

Parental Awareness:

As a matter of fact, not only the kids, even the parents became abreast of what their kids have to deal with every day at school and that made them more tolerant towards them as opposed to disregarding them completely earlier. With change in times, the need to change the thinking in parent’s minds evolved with this show, the change being in the nature of problems and not the problems in its entirety.

Realistic:

The fact that the writers of this show managed to keep the drama to a bare minimum and rather focus on portraying the reality is what made this show a huge success worldwide.

Result:

The surge in kids suddenly calling up helplines and seeking professional help is a mere testament to this fact. It wasn’t just limited to the students in general, the authorities too pulled their socks up and started addressing the issue at hands by having the shrinks in their respective schools monitor the progress of each student closely and bringing any deviation from it to the notice of the parents too, meanwhile dealing with it at the root level by talking to the concerned kids, themselves. That, a single show managed to do all of this worldwide is only praise-worthy and content like this is what exactly is the need of the hour.

Bullying may start off as fun to some but only when one is at it’s receiving end, do they realize the horrors attached to it. The adolescence plays a huge role in shaping up the young adult’s future and stuff like these not only hinder their progress, but it also affects them deeply. The vengeance in some, if not corrected earlier may lead to the future anti-social elements, the society dreads of. This show taught us that, and that is better being late than never. We don’t need our potential future to die and teach us a lesson, we need them working together in harmony to build a better future for you, for me, and for a better tomorrow.

Written with Abhijnya Kotian,

Instagram handle: https://www.instagram.com/abhijnyaaa/

Buy 13RW book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3f4Odvh

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