Netflix has been drawing in young viewers for years now, but what exactly is your teen watching?
“13 Reasons Why” became available on Netflix on March 31st of this year. With Selena Gomez working behind the scenes of this production, it was destined to be a hit. However, Moore County Schools are concerned about the serious tones of this series.
The following message was sent out by Moore County Schools:
We want to bring to the attention of our parents a miniseries produced by Netflix entitled “13 Reasons Why.” The series is a fictional account of a teenage character who dies by suicide. The series is rated TV-MA (Mature Audience Only), which means it may be unsuitable for children under 17. However, we have found some of our students have already watched some of the series, have heard about it, or are asking questions about it.
The series attempts to address many topics some might find distressing, such as bullying, cyber-bullying, assault, rape and suicide. Aspects of the miniseries go against the recommendations of mental health professionals and suicide prevention models.
We do not recommend that children watch the series. However, if your child is going to or already has watched the series, we encourage you to discuss your reactions, as well as your child’s, to the subject matter raised in the series.
A document providing guidance to families can be found on the North Moore Website under the Parents tab as well as the MCS website, www.ncmcs.org, under the “Parents” tab under Health Information and then under Student Health Information and Suicide Prevention.
This message has been shared with permission from MCS Director of Communication, Catherine Murphy.
