10 Controversies Netflix Wants You To Forget
5. 13 Reasons Why Boycott
13 Reasons Why follows the story of Hannah Baker's life and the effect her death has on those who knew her. Having committed suicide after becoming a victim of the culture of bullying, gossip, and even sexual assault in her high school, Hannah leaves behind her a box of audio cassettes detailing why she chose to end her life this way.
Netflix were warned by mental health professionals that the show may cause a spate of copycat suicides, even before the release of the series. They were told that it could be easily seen as glamourizing suicide in its current presentation.
Releasing the show anyway, it was no surprise when everything they were warned about happened. Suicide prevention hotlines reported an uptick in calls and several suicides were attributed to the show including one that left behind his own set of tapes. In 2019, studies of adolescent and pre-teen suicide rates found that they'd risen by as much as 29% following the release of the show, even after taking into account season effects and recent trends in the figures.
It's no surprise that so many different groups were calling for a boycott.