Netflix has recently released a new series based off of the book by Jay Asher, “13 Reasons Why.” While most series show only the good and fun parts of high school, “13 Reasons Why” actually takes the complete opposite path. This is not a typical teenager show. The series talks about a very serious issue, that is a very real thing, and common thing, that is no where near talked about enough.

In the series, a junior student named Hannah Baker commits suicide and leaves behind 13 reasons she decided to do it. Throughout the series, the viewer learns that her death is attributed to the people Hannah went to school with and interacted with every day. Hannah was bullied terribly by her peers. This is such a profound series because it talks about and shows a very serious issue that happens every day.

When someone says the word “bully,” one thinks of someone much bigger – someone who looks scary and pushes people into lockers when people don’t give them their lunch money. This is not the kind of bully most of us face. Yes, there are people like that and yes, they are bullies, but the way humans bully has changed throughout the years. The majority of bullies now use words to hurt people. Rather than doing physical damage to someone, they go for the victim’s mental health, which can eventually inflict physical damage on someone.

Social media is a major platform used by bullies. This does not mean that everyone on social media is a bully; this means that more hate is spread mostly on social media. Words do damage. Even with the popular saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” words do damage. Simple words do damage. Sometimes people say things without thinking about it and anyone is capable of being a bully. One of the outstanding quotes in the series and novel was, “You don’t know what’s going on in anyone else’s life but your own. Everything…affects everything.”

Words can do so much damage to someone because we are not able to know what is going on in someone else’s life. You could say something you don’t think is rude enough to really hurt someone, but you could really be hitting a really personal part of someone’s life. Word choice is so important when talking to anyone, anytime.

Statistics presented by stopbullying.gov show that over 28 percent of students experience contestant bullying in person and over 70 percent of both students and staff have said they have seen it happen. Over 15 percent of students have experienced cyber bulling, and that number spikes to over 50 percent for students who identify with the LGBT community. Over 50 percent of students experience bullying at least once a month. These statistics are from high schools just like ours, from students just like the ones who attend our schools. Together, we can bring those rates down.

While there is no distinct connection between suicide rates and bullying, there is no denying that bullying can take some blame in some of those situations. Feeling lonely is one of the worst things a human can experience, and we’re not made to live like that. We are people who strive off of being social, so feeling alone just piles on to all of the personal issues, and possible bullying. When people feel lonely and unwanted, they can make some bad decisions that could affect the rest of their lives.

Self harm is a real thing and anyone is capable of it. It is a very hard thing to talk about, but also a very important thing to talk about it. People make jokes about self harming and while it is easy or “funny” to do this, the issue should not be taken lightly. People: look around, stay open minded and be aware of the signs of someone being bullied or who is self harming.

It’s upsetting that it takes a show for people to realize a real issue that has always been happening around them. The series has already been able to impact so many people and has gotten them to talk about the issue, and maybe even put their interactions with others into perspective. It’s never too late to start putting an end to all forms of bullying.

Bullying is a real thing that can do real damage to anyone. Be careful of your word choices in the future and spread more love than hate. Proper communication is something that can really help any bullying situation. It hurts seeing someone you love being bullied, or even being bullied. This is something that needs to be talked about in order to make a difference. Parents, talk to your kids. Teachers, talk to your students. Students, talk to your peers. This is something that can be stopped, and it can be stopped by anyone. Together, we can be there to stop bulling and to support and uplift each other, rather than tear each other down.