Ever since “13 Reasons Why” was released, people of all ages have been keeping up with the show like Tony keeps up with Clay.

The recent release of a Netflix original, “13 Reasons Why”, has had critics and Netflix watchers raving with good reviews.

*SPOILERS*

The story line is simple yet full of complex scenes. Hannah Baker is a main character in the show. Before taking her own life after weeks of bullying, she makes 13 tapes dedicating each tape to someone who led her to do what she did. The tapes circulate around the people who contributed to her death. Even after the tapes circulating, it remains a secret through the 13 of them.

After Baker’s death, the school is full of memorial sites. Baker’s mother frequently visits the school to try and understand why her daughter would do this. When she comes in to talk to the principal about a list that she found in her daughter’s school books, she sees the memorial full of cards and roses. These items were put there because of guilt and obligation, and it was obvious.

Baker had few close friends at the school, but she seemed to be open about her feelings to everyone. As she was walking out from her unsuccessful meeting, she made notice of the fact that her daughter hated roses and anyone who knew her would know that. The people who cared cared too late. People put roses there to feel better about themselves, not to remember the girl behind the memorial.

The counselors at her school stressed the importance of noticing signs of someone who may have suicidal thoughts. Baker’s friends didn’t notice any of them, so they couldn’t help. This strongly relates to every high schooler’s experience.

“I like it because it’s real life. Those kids are our age in high school and the stuff that happens in that show, totally happen everyday in the everyday high school society. It’s real, it’s relatable, and it’s true. It really makes you stop and think about your actions and other actions,” said Brooke Stivers, senior.

By shedding light on things like the importance of body language, the show makes its viewers aware of potential warning signs of friends or peers. By simply watching the show, viewers can now notice signs of someone suicidal and save their lives.

Bullying may always be an issue. It’s hard to micromanage every person in the world, it couldn’t happen. Bullying is very real and it is a major issues in high schools. Baker is bullied in many ways. From her former friend turning on her verbally and one time physically, Baker has dealt with the reality that is bullying.

It’s made obvious that the verbal abuse gets to her. It tears her down from the beginning and the other students still don’t seem to get the hint. After her suicide, the not-so-nice students regretted it. The show teaches a valuable life lesson with this by making it clear that hurtful words are not necessary and they will have consequences.

“I think some of it is a little far fetched as far as being worth suicide but it really puts a new perspective on why something that may not be a big deal to you can have a huge effect on someone else and that you can talk to someone everyday and still not know what struggles they are facing,” said Sarah Crenshaw, senior.

The show covers many controversial topics including sexual assault. After being ranked based on her physical features, the guys in the school seemed to narrow in on only talking about how her body looked. It seemed as if the list made it alright for boys to rudely comment on her curves. While standing in a gas station, one student even came up and grabbed her inappropriately with no remorse and no consequence. Sexual assault is a major issue in many countries today, so touching on the topic was relatable for some and eye opening for many.

A picture was taken of Baker shortly after arriving at her new school. It was taken by a guy she liked and trusted. While sliding down a slide in a dress, an inappropriate picture was taken at the end of the slide that sent rumors all throughout the school. It was sent around school the next day without Baker’s notice. She was surrounded by rumors for days after and she would never get over the humiliation that came with it. It showed that a simple text being sent out could lower someone’s self worth and negatively impact their lives in a major way. “13 Reasons Why” deals with real life situations. It talks about things that may not be easy to talk about and gives many life lessons throughout. It is made specifically relatable to high schoolers who may need the exposure to these topics the most.