Summer TV Drought

Summer is both a good time & bad time for TV shows for me.  It's good because there are less shows I like during the summer, so I can get caught up on the shows I have fallen behind on, but it's also bad because sometimes in the evenings I feel like there is nothing good to watch at all!  After I go on holidays I always have a look through my SideReel tracker & decide what shows I don't think are worth trying to get caught up on, & I pare down what I watch.  When it seems like there's just nothing good to watch, I'll start a shows that didn't really interest me initially, but I have heard a lot about, which is how I came to watch 13 Reasons Why.

What I had heard about it before watching was that it was dark, & it was about a girl who committed suicide.  That's all I knew.  Now, after watching all of season 1, I have to say it's a really well written show that is a pretty accurate portrayal of high school.  Not every high school has all the same dynamics, but there are a lot of things going on in the students' lives that they just don't feel they can talk about with any of the adults in their lives, or even some of their peers.  Some of the issues they face could have been avoided had they just told an adult, or talked to their friends about them, but instead they all felt like they were alone, & because of that, they had to face many of their problems alone.  Also, you see the kids refusing to acknowledge things they may have done, & repeatedly make the situation worse by trying to cover it up, or bully others into denying it as well.

Would I recommend it?  Yes.  Now there is swearing, & there are adult themes, & the last episode is a bit graphic, but I'd still recommend it.  It's not fluffy, mindless TV.  Watch it more like a documentary.
Now, for who I'd recommend it to:

-If you know your children have watched this show, you should also watch it.
-Watch it if you work with kids.
-If you have kids who are heading off to University or College, watch this show with them.  Even if they seem well adjusted, a lot of things go on at college/university that they have not encountered before, & them knowing you are aware of what is going on with their peers can open up some amazing dialog.

Don't pretend it's not happening.  It's way more prevalent than you can imagine.  Watch it, & talk about it with your kids.