When 13 Reasons Why returns for its second season, the teen drama will also include new resources for young people and parents looking to talk about the show’s dark themes. According to a Netflix press release, the streaming giant is adding additional elements, including an automatic warning video at the start of each season, based on the findings of a study by Northwestern University’s Center on Media and Human Development.
The show came under fire last year, with many criticizing its graphic depiction of a teenager’s suicide. In response Netflix commissioned the aforementioned study, which discovered that “nearly three-quarters of teen and young adult viewers said the show made them feel more comfortable processing tough topics.†It also reportedly found that, “more than half of teens reached out to someone to apologize for how they had treated them.†However, a majority of parents told the study that they wished for additional resources for talking about those “tough topics,†which in the first season included sexual assault, substance abuse, mental health, and suicide.
In addition to the warning videos, Netflix has established a discussion guide at 13ReasonsWhy.info, which includes information from mental-health experts as well as the numbers and websites for crisis-prevention centers and help lines. The aftershow Beyond the Reasons will feature actors, educators, and experts breaking down the the themes of the episodes.