CCQ #139: Do you think 13 Reasons Why is dangerous for our teens to watch?
I am not a mental health professional, so I am not qualified to answer that question, however, I AM a Mom and I have to say the advisory notice from our Oakland County Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force certainly caught my attention (see adjacent). Though I could only stomach watching 5 episodes of this high drama series with my own teenage daughter, we did talk at length about the themes touched on in the show and how all of us need to be thoughtful and careful about what we "ingest" as far as media/shows, not unlike we are attentive to our food choices. Because, ultimately, as the saying goes "we are what we eat" and whether we recognize it or not, shows like 13 Reasons Why DO shape our thoughts and our culture.
Like it or lump it, 13 Reasons HAS become one of the shared stories among our teens - just like Happy Days and The Brady Bunch were part of our shared culture growing up. Remember Bobby's unfortunate discovery of the bad luck Tiki charm found on the Brady's trip to Hawaii? Even if you didn't see the episode, you know what I'm referring to. The bottom line is, we can ban watching 13 Reasons in our homes, but that is not going to shield our children from the discussions about it with their friends. The tidal wave force of our culture, of which this show is a part, WILL be part of our children’s formation. We have little to no control over that. The way we respond as parents to this presence is crucial. As the Youth Task Force mentions, conversation is key. If our teens watch the show, perhaps we parents can view it as an opportunity, even an invitation, to talk about these important topics that effect our young people today.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
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