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Many adolescents binge-watched the 13 episodes of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, consisting of recordings made to various people about the reasons why a fictional 17-year old female high school student died by suicide. Researchers examined CDC suicide statistics after the show's release for individuals in three age groups — 10–19 years, 20–29, and ≥30 — and, as a proxy for public interest, posts on Twitter and Instagram, which are visited by at least three fourths of U.S. adolescents.
In analyses correcting for seasonal and temporal changes in rates of suicide, suicide rates in only the 10–19 age group (the target audience) increased during the 3 months after the show's release, with a peak in the first month and a return to baseline after…