The release of the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why"— a show that examines the suicide of a teenage girl — coincided with an uptick in suicide-related Google searches, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The show's graphic depiction of suicide inspired a public health debate as to whether the series glamorizes suicide or raises awareness about the health issue. To better understand the show's possible influence on the volume and content of suicide internet searches, researchers examined Google search trends for suicide-related terms from March 31 — when the show was released — and April 18.
The researchers found the show's release coincided with an estimated 26 percent increase in searches involving the phrase "how to commit suicide," a 23 percent increase for the phrase "suicide prevention" and a 21 percent increase for the phrase "suicide hotline number."
"While '13 Reasons Why' has certainly caused the conversation to begin — it's raised awareness, and we do see a variety of suicide-related searches increasing — our worst fears were confirmed," said John Ayers, PhD, research professor at San Diego State University and lead author of the paper, according to CNN. "That is, thousands of people, thousands more, are searching online about ways to kill themselves."
Dr. Ayers believes Netflix should postpone the show's second season and make changes to the first season.
In a statement provided to CNN, Netflix said, "We always believed this show would increase discussion around this tough subject matter. This is an interesting quasi experimental study that confirms this. We are looking forward to more research and taking everything we learn to heart as we prepare for season two."
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