Thirteen reasons to be concerned about 13 Reasons Why

Netflix recently announced its intention to release a sequel to 13 Reasons Why, the controversial series that depicts a fictional teen suicide. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist at ground zero of the adolescent suicide problem, I feel compelled to share my concerns about this influential and concerning program. Just one month after its release on Netflix, I binge‐watched the first season of 13 Reasons Why. I was inspired to do so after several parents asked me whether they should be allowing their teens to watch the series. From an artistic perspective, undeniably the characters and narrative of 13 Reasons Why are compelling, and it is understandable that teens are drawn to it. Furthermore, the sensitive topics raised (i.e., bullying, sexual assault, substance use, suicide) are important and should not be ignored.