Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' Tied to Increase in Suicide-Related Online Searches, Study Shows
A new study links Netflix show "13 Reasons Why" to an increase in suicide-related Internet searches, which spiked shortly after its release.
According to a paper published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal on July 31, online searches for suicide ideation increased following the March 31 premiere of "13 Reasons Why" on Netflix.
"Our analyses suggest 13 Reasons Why, in its present form, has both increased suicidal awareness while unintentionally increasing suicidal ideation," the researchers wrote, as quoted by The Washington Post.
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In particular, searches for "how to commit suicide" increased above 26 percent than expected, while "suicide prevention" went up 23 percent.
Overall, the first 19 days of "13 Reasons Why's" release on Netflix saw a 19 percent increase for suicide-related searches. The statistics reflected "900,000 to 1.5 million more searches than expected."
Based on Jay Asher's 2007 young adult novel, "13 Reasons Why" centers on a teenage girl named Hannah Baker, portrayed by Katherine Langford on the show, who leaves behind 13 cassette tapes after committing suicide. Each recording is addressed to a person who played a role in Hannah's decision to end her life.
CNN reported that "13 Reasons Why" season 2 is currently in production and has been filming in parts of California's Bay Area.
The research also suggests ways for Netflix to reduce associations with suicidal ideation by following the World Health Organization's media guidelines to prevent suicide.
While the show initially drew in positive reviews and became Netflix's most buzzed-about show on social media, the show later received backlash for allegedly glamorizing suicide and featuring a graphic suicide scene.
Due to the public debate about "13 Reasons Why" potentially being a trigger to those who are suffering from depression and other mental health issues, Netflix included a warning at the beginning of episodes 9, 12 and 13, which contain explicit material including the scene of Hannah's suicide. Some, however, believe that Netflix and the show's creators could've done something more to lessen the negative impact the show has on those suffering from mental illness.
