Netflix will run a new warning at the start of its original series "13 Reasons Why," about a teen who took her own life, advising viewers that “if you are struggling with these issues yourself, this series might not be right for you.”
“13 Reasons Why” has courted controversy since its release in March of last year, facing backlash from suicide prevention advocacy groups who say the program glamorises suicide, the second leading cause of death among those ages 15 to 34, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The families of two different teens who both died by suicide in 2017 even say they felt the series triggered their teenagers' decisions to take their own lives, according to ABC News.
Actress and singer Selena Gomez, an executive producer, has said that her intent for “13 Reasons Why” was to help teens who were struggling.
“We wanted to do in a way where it was honest and we wanted to make something that can hopefully help people because suicide should never ever be an option,” Gomez said during the show’s first season.
Some school districts last year took the step of sending letters to parents warning them about what their children may be watching on “13 Reasons Why.”
