In April of 2017, teen suicide rates jumped 29 percent from the previous month. Coincidentally, the hit television series “13 Reasons Why,” which follows the aftermath of high school student Hannah Baker’s suicide, was released on March 31, 2017. Within 28 days of its release, the show garnered 476 million watch hours. The show received an incredible amount of backlash from critics, parents and viewers due to its graphic details depicting Baker’s death, and has come extremely close to being taken off Netflix multiple times since its release. So, was the timing truly a coincidence?

Shows that tackle sensitive topics, such as suicide, can be praised for raising awareness through exposing the personal and societal impacts; however, “13 Reasons Why” suggests that these shows may do more harm than good.

Part of this harm can come from how audiences connect to characters, also known as parasocial relationships. This physiological concept goes much further than having a favorite show or movie and wanting to watch it on repeat. Parasocial relationships are a phenomenon that occurs when viewers form emotional bonds with fictional characters, often mirroring their personality traits and judgments as they would with real-life people.

Sure, if your favorite film is about a smart, caring, responsible person, this wouldn’t be too bad. But those are not the films that sell. To ensure that a show is entertaining, producers and writers constantly have to overly dramatize conflict, tragedy and behaviors. That’s where shows like “13 Reasons Why,” “Euphoria” and “Breaking Bad” come into play, which cover sensitive topics like substance abuse, suicide and mental illnesses. The line between shows raising awareness versus influencing teens becomes blurred when parasocial relationships enter the conversation.

Psychology teacher Jonathan Hirsch uses social learning theory, a psychological framework suggesting that people learn new behaviors, attitudes and skills by observing and imitating others, to further explain the relationship between viewers and films.

“[People] think that a child who has been abused would grow up thinking, ‘I never want that to happen to anyone.’ But we know that’s not the way it works. Children who are abused are more likely to be abusers,” Hirsch said. “That really comes down to what is normalized. A child who has never been abused would likely never think to do that [to another person] because we mimic social learning theory [and] imitate what we see as normal and acceptable.”

Teenagers are the most susceptible to the dangerous effects of these shows due to their young age and relatability to the content, which usually focuses on high school characters and experiences. Senior Catherine Tang shared her experience with social learning theory from the perspective of a teenage girl, the target audience for many of these shows.

“There are times when you’ll see characters, especially when you’re younger and more impressionable, and you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, that character is so cool. I want to be just like them.’ Whether it’s the way they dress or act. But that also [includes] the bad things,” Tang said.

The warnings on the screen and TV ratings’ age limit, efforts to prevent immature audiences from viewing these shows, only do so much. All it takes is the click of a button confirming the viewer is old enough to view, and they have successfully passed the barrier.

“When [Euphoria and 13 Reasons Why] shows came out, we [high schoolers] were in middle school. If you watch them [in high school or older], you might be more educated, and it might not influence you as much. Even though they say a [TV] rating, that’s not gonna stop people from watching them. They’re still accessible, even if it says ‘TV-MA,’” Tang said.

Hirsch similarly believes that as one ages, they are less susceptible to negative influences.

“The power of influence exists whether we’re aware of it [or not]. If we’re aware of the possibility that something or someone is influencing us, that influence usually goes away,” Hirsch said.

Though teenagers frequently attempt to prove their maturity to their parents or peers, their understanding of maturity may be warped by TV shows, leading them to make poor decisions.

“Teens are instinctively trying to be adults, but without guidance, they don’t necessarily know what ‘adulting’ means,” Hirsch said.

One topic amplified through television shows is death. While death is often spoken about, the true impact of it is unfamiliar to most youth. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), only five percent of children in America have experienced losing a loved one under the age of 75, resulting in a desensitization to death.

“Teenagers who haven’t experienced [knowing someone who has died] have a really visceral understanding of the finality of death. When you combine that with the romanticization of it on TV, that becomes dangerous,” Hirsch said.

The NIH also states that approximately four percent of youth know someone who has died by suicide. Senior Tobias Foster has speculated as to why “13 Reasons Why” had such a large effect on teens.

“[13 Reasons Why] really brought attention to the fact that suicide is an option for people to take,” Foster said.

Another example of a TV series about teenagers is “Gossip Girl,” which is a staple series from the early 2000s that amassed over 3.5 million views in the first season alone. One of the main characters, Blair Waldorf, is a seemingly perfect girl, but throughout the series, it is often mentioned that Blair had bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by overeating and then self-induced vomiting, and it even featured flashbacks to when she was struggling the most with it.

Hirsch expands on this idea of how the human tendency to form connections between fictional characters can be harmful to teenagers.

“Teens are looking for belonging somewhere and constantly searching for their identity. Sometimes we connect with TV shows, and can experience a sense of belonging with a show. It could be a good thing if the messaging is good, but it could be really problematic. [Teens] identify [with a character] and say, ‘yes, that’s me, that character speaks to me’, then we instinctively try to mimic it,” Hirsch said.

Tang recognizes the security these shows bring to many teenagers, offering them a sense of belonging during times of stress and loneliness. This sense of belonging doesn’t always have to influence harmful behaviors, such as suicide and eating disorders, but can inspire honorable behaviors and traits for viewers.

“People who are strongly influenced probably didn’t have a strong community. They get their community through watching shows and relating to characters. I know people who get really attached to shows because something about it speaks out to them. It almost becomes a community, which can be good,” Tang said.

.“Gilmore Girls” is another popular show from the early 2000s about the wholesome relationship between a spunky mother and a quiet, intelligent daughter.

“I know people who love Gilmore Girls, and they aspire to be academically [successful, like the main character Rory]. In that way [parasocial relationships] are beneficial,” Tang said.

However, the danger of influence begins when teenagers romanticize suicide, substances and mental illnesses.

“[In TV], there’s a real downplaying of the risks and downsides of [drug use] so teens are not exposed to the consequences of that,” Hirsch said. “We have to be more deliberate about what aspects of [drug use] we are normalizing. [Shows] normalize the finality, the loss and the grieving, [which] is really risky. There’s no such thing as safe use. [Instead, we need to] normalize the consequences of it.”

Another popular show, “Breaking Bad,” is about the life of high school teacher Walter White as he manufactures and distributes methamphetamine alongside his partner and former student, Jesse Pinkman. Though “Breaking Bad” involves addiction, Foster thinks that the show does an adequate job of avoiding negative influences and stressing the importance of including the consequences of drug use.

“‘Breaking Bad’ did a good job because it showed the monetary gain that Walter had from selling the drugs, but it also showed what that did to him mentally, as well as Jesse Pinkman, who was an addict. While [Walter] enjoyed it and had a good time doing it, the effects that it had on him and the people that loved him just weren’t worth it. I do think it’s important that both sides of the story are illustrated,” Foster said.

The solution to the negative influence that TV can have on teens is not simple. It is extremely unlikely that the film industry will forfeit its creative freedom and stop making these shows.

“The wrong thing is to avoid shows like these; that’s unrealistic. Shows like these can bring awareness to [sensitive] topics, but they can have the opposite effect. [We should bring] awareness through schools and provide resources for people who may be susceptible to being swayed by these TV shows. Then people can benefit from that, rather than just not watching them at all,” Foster said.