Netflix’s most sought-after show, ’13 Reasons Why’ garnered a lot of buzz on the social media and internet due to a lot of reasons. This show, based on the best-selling novel by Jay Asher, received mixed reviews from all across the globe. The show depicts the suicide of a high school student named Hannah Baker and also discusses its aftermath in a great deal.

Parents are getting concerned because the show discusses teen suicide, bullying, and mental illness in a lot of ways. Since the show has become widely popular, teens cannot stop themselves from binge watching it. The show has literally drawn everyone, be it young viewers or their parents, to watch it.

If you find out that your teen is currently watching this show, then we would suggest you watch this show with them because this could be the best time to make them understand teen suicide and its disastrous effects. Here are some of the reasons why parents should watch this show with their teens:

Discuss Serious Issues

The show openly discusses some serious issues like suicide, bullying, sexual assault, and mental illness. We would advise you to discuss these issues with your teens as they come up in the show.

Listen More, Speak Less

The show offers a lot of issues or concerns that might disturb your teen mentally. Every now and then they would feel the need to talk to you about their concerns about the show. Make sure you listen to their concerns without any judgment, criticism, or punishment. Allow them to talk to you freely and see what they feel about the show.

Ask Them to Other Resources for Help

Your teens might not always want to open with you. They might also not be comfortable while talking to you about their private lives or experiences. You should let them know there are other resources available that can help them in case they are facing any issues. You can provide them with information about support groups, any other trusted family members, teachers, or counselors. You should always encourage them to talk to someone if they don’t want to talk about their issues with you.

Discuss the Tough Content

There might be a few scenes in the show that display sexual assault or rape culture. Instead of censoring the tough content, you can allow your teens to watch it because you would not want to disregard an important topic. However, we would advise you not to make your children see the show if they’re not in middle school or high school yet. You can use some parental discretion to see if your child is capable or mature enough to take in the material displayed in the show.