Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

There’s a popular show on Netflix called 13 Reasons. It centers around a high school student who commits suicide. The show unpacks the events that led to this tragedy. Now a new study finds that teen suicide spiked in the months following the release of 13 Reasons. Critics say the show normalized the idea of suicide and made it easier and more thinkable for teens suffering from depression or bullying. Suicide is already the second leading cause of death for teenagers. Now with this latest study it appears that suicide is on the increase and that troubled teens hanging in the balance might be set off to pursue suicide. Parents, please talk to your kids. Tell them they are precious and loved. They are made in the image of God and their life is worth living. They need to hear that.