13 Reasons Why Not

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

I don’t know about you, but I need reminders from God to stay pure. I don’t want what my eyes see to travel down to my heart, and pollute it. And I don’t want this – a pure heart – just for me, I want it for you too!!

A parent asked me (knowing I work with young adults) what I thought of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. I told her I don’t even want to check it out because I know I will be negatively affected by the suicide scene for years to come. How do I know that? Because I still have graphic scenes from movies I saw decades ago, in my mind.

If you think what you see doesn’t affect you, read these quotes:

“Whether the violence is real, re-enacted, based on real events, or fiction, when you witness cruelty and empathize with the victim, you experience the trauma vicariously. That’s why witnesses to violence are considered victims too. It is especially traumatizing to witness cruelty when you are powerless to prevent it.” (Davis, 2013)

“Children and adolescents are also especially vulnerable [to disturbing images] because they typically do not have the broad world view or self-soothing skills necessary to cope with the distress induced by witnessing violence and cruelty. And they may not get the support they need from adults.” (Davis, 2013)

Images and words can get inside our mind easily. Have you ever caught yourself humming a jingle from a TV commercial you saw? Or singing lyrics to a song that you didn’t even know you knew? Sisters – let’s treat our bodies as the Holy temple they are and strive to stay pure!

Davis, Dr. Deborah. “Protect Your Brain from Images of Violence and Cruelty.” Psychology Today. December 22, 2013.