13 Reasons Why Is Changing Teen Society

Caroline Leigh

English 1302-  Period 4

Lawson

18 April 2017

Why 13 Reasons Why is Changing Teen Society

        The cliché idea of bullying, such as trashcan dunking or the jocks shoving a weak link into a locker has been reinvented with the age of social media. Bullying has been taken to a whole new level; kids are smarter about it now, subtler, and they know how to hit harder. Social media takes what once was something kids could escape, into an all the time terror filled hell. With platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, bullies have a 24/7 outlet to the peers they prey on. The topic of this new and enhanced form of bullying has raised conversations; the book 13 Reasons Why subtly introduces the new form of bullying and how it affects those who are preyed on. Readers are torn apart as they read about Hannah Baker, a high school junior who left thirteen tapes explaining the thirteen reasons why she ended her own life, and who she holds responsible. The subject of suicide is difficult to hear about, but has been said to affect readers in a way that is only positive. Many times, parents feel as if subjects such as self-harm, mental illness, and suicide are not appropriate to talk about with young teens, yet these are the sad reality of what society struggles with.

        Published in 2007, 13 Reasons Why is a book that has shook readers for the past ten years. The message pushed by author Jay Asher is that one can never truly know what someone else is going through in their own life, and how what someone says or does can make a detrimental impact in the life of another. Hannah Baker is all but 16 years old when she takes her own life. She was never pushed around in the hallways, nor had slushies thrown on her; rather, the subtle bullying and suffrage Hannah underwent is what eventually pushed her over the edge. The first thing that Hannah lists as one of many contributions to her death is a rumor that went around school accompanied with an accidental up-skirt photo taken of her as by her then romantic interest, Justin Fowley. Although the rumor wasn’t true, Hannah’s reputation was tarnished, the photo had been spread through the cyber web, and she realized no one at school sees her the same way. Hannah’s list continues with things like her friend Jessica believing she was trying to steal her boyfriend as well as comments and actions made by multiple boys due to the rumor that was spread and even having encouraging letters stolen from her; these letters being a cornerstone in keeping her self-confidence and will to live at a high level. While these things may seem small and insignificant to bystanders, Hannah takes them to heart. The book goes on to tell the life altering moments Hannah undergoes, such as holding herself responsible for a car wreck that took the life of a peer, along with being hesitant and reluctant to speak up about the rape she witnessed of her friend Jessica by classmate Bryce, and coincidentally leading up to her own eventual rape. She even pushes away Clay Jensen, a character based off the author’s own high school memories, and the one boy that was blameless and tried to be there for her (Rich, Motoko). No one is aware of the internal battle Hannah is desperately fighting. Sadly, when she reaches out for help, no support is given.

        Jay Asher, author of “13 Reasons Why”, has touched millions of lives with the fictitious story of Hannah Baker and her trials in a high school society dominated by bullying and the tearing down of others. Jay Asher speaks out about the dark side of his novel. “I think that’s why teens read a lot of these things: because it isn’t talked about openly. You have to talk about these things openly and honestly and not just the clichés and the knee-jerk reaction.” (Brunner).

 Although the book doesn’t directly address the subject matter of bullying, thousands have reached out to Asher and said that it helped them. “It really surprised me when people started calling it a book about bullying, but it made me realize that people are more honest and open now about what bullying is, and recognize that it's not just stereotypical things like slamming someone into a school locker” (Jay Asher Headlines '50 States Against Bullying' Campaign). From October 2014 to May 2015, Asher was part of the 50 States Against Bullying campaign, in which he toured the country, going to a least one school in every state to speak about the message of the anti-bullying movement (Jay Asher Headlines '50 States Against Bullying' Campaign). The seed for this literature project was planted years ago when Asher’s close family member attempted suicide, leaving him to wonder how someone could come to that point in their life. The idea finally began to develop nine years later when he got involved with tape recorders (Jay Asher Headlines '50 States Against Bullying' Campaign).

Too often, it seems teens in society struggle with the exact same things that Hannah Baker dealt with, yet parents have pushed for this book to be banned. Many consider the issues discussed in 13 Reasons Why to be too inappropriate for high school readers, but illnesses like depression should not ignored or deflected, but rather they need to be discussed. Considering suicide is now the third leading cause of death for teens ages 15-19, people should be talking about the raw reality of our society. (Truths about Teen Suicide). In an interview discussing books banned in school, Jay Asher explains his view on the influence books like his own have on readers.

“Having spoken to thousands of teens since my book came out, I even more firmly believe that books dealing with these issues need to be written as emotionally honest as possible. Not only is it appropriate, it's responsible. If people are dealing with it, we need to talk about it. Otherwise, we contribute to the main reason people don't reach out for help” (School book-banning becoming excessive).

Asher shares a story in an article with Entertainment about a mother who was at first angry with her daughter reading 13 Reasons Why, but after taking the initiative to read the book herself, the mother realized how uplifting this influential story about the unfortunate realities of some in high school truly is (Brunner). For teens, having someone to relate is of upmost importance. Asher explains in an interview on how writing 13 Reasons Why was a struggle. “As far as responsibility, with this subject matter I felt the most responsible thing I could do was write the book as raw and honest as I could. No one reaches out for help if they feel no one will understand. And I’ve heard over and over that this book was the first-time people felt understood” (Raw Honesty | Author Jay Asher Talks to SLJ About ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’). Articles posted by WebMD are have tips to help those are considering suicide or has a friend considering it. “Take any suicidal thought or suicide threat seriously. Even if the person seems to have the "perfect life" on the outside, it is impossible to know what is going on behind closed doors” (Teen Suicide Risk Factors and Prevention). Hannah was a poster child for someone that looked as if they had it all together, which most teens are good at. Many kids put on a show, yet internally they are drowning. Books like 13 Reasons Why should be encouraged by teachers and school administrators, rather than pushed under the rug. When real issues are discussed, real solutions become available.