Reasons Why
Can a TV show about suicide be ‘dangerous’? What are the moral obligations of a producer
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11267784 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marco Scalvini (0000-0002-3265-8857, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 7-8 |
| Pages | 1564-1574 |
| Publication date | 2020-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Media Culture & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0163-4437 • E-ISSN: 1460-3675 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0163443720932502 |
| OpenAlex | W3036190369 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 34 |
The release of the Netflix’s show 13 Reasons Why caused significant public concern about the risk of suicide contagion among teenagers – particularly those who have suicidal thoughts. Practitioners and researchers expressed apprehension about the show for its apparent praise of suicide and for allegedly increasing suicide risk among vulnerable teenagers. However, there is a lack of clear evidence for the influence of fictional content on self-harm. Little is known about variations in media effects between news and fiction. The literature focuses mainly on non-fictional media reporting, without making any distinction between individual vulnerability and the type of media portrayal. The present article criticizes the assumption that risk of self-harm is reduced by sanitizing fictional content. The absence of definite scientific evidence is precisely why this article re-addresses the problem through an ethical perspective by focusing on the moral responsibility of Netflix. Censoring fiction may do more harm than good, but producers have the responsibility to evaluate in advance the potential impact that such content has on vulnerable people, and to support viewers as well as parents, educators, and practitioners through an adequate campaign of prevention
Apprehension · Blame · Computer security · Content (measure theory · Criminology · Harm · Mass media · Medical emergency · Perspective (graphical · Poison control · Political science · Praise · Suicide prevention · Vulnerability (computing · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Law · Media Influence and Health · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
Media Effects
The social construction of gender and its influence on suicide
Adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior
Role of media reports in completed and prevented suicide
Are News Reports of Suicide Contagious? A Stringent Test in Six U.S. Cities
Public Health Communication Interventions
A Threat or Just a Book? Analyzing Responses to Thirteen Reasons Why in a Discourse Community
One Less Reason Why
Investigating harmful and helpful effects of watching season 2 of 13 Reasons Why
The Influence of Suggestion on Suicide
Why Thirteen Reasons Why may elicit suicidal ideation in some viewers, but help others
Does the media matter to suicide
The Sociology of Suicide
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2023 (3) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |