NBC

Netflix's ‘13 Reasons Why' Carries Danger of Glorifying Suicide, Experts Say

"Sequences of terrible things happen to Hannah, and we don't get a feel for her internalization until she kills herself," one expert said

Netflix's series "13 Reasons Why" has been a critical success but some mental health experts fear the show could glorify teen suicide, NBC News reported.

The show tells the story of teenager Hannah Baker's suicide through audio tapes listened to by classmate Clay Jensen. Each tape details why Hannah blames specific people for her suicide. 

"Sequences of terrible things happen to Hannah, and we don't get a feel for her internalization until she kills herself," Dr. Victor Schwartz, medical director of the JED Foundation, told NBC News. 

But in a Netflix special about "13 Reasons Why," show creator Brian Yorkey said the gruesomeness of Hannah's suicide scene was intentional.

"We worked very hard not to be gratuitous, but we did want it to be painful to watch because we wanted it to be very clear that there is nothing, in any way, worthwhile about suicide," Yorkey said. 

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