Sonya Bateson: Bullying inescapable in the modern world

Actor Katherine Langford from 13 Reasons Why. Photo / Getty Images

I've just finished watching the controversial TV series 13 Reasons Why and boy, did it strike a chord.

For those who have somehow escaped all the hype around this show, it shows the bullying a 17-year-old girl went through and her silent cries for help before she committed suicide.

Hannah Baker recorded 13 cassette tapes detailing the people and events that she said contributed to her decision to die - like a revealing photograph that was sent around the school and being groped in a restaurant by a boy she thought was a friend - then sent the tapes to her former friends in a macabre audio suicide note.

What horrified me was how accurate an account this was of a teen's life, or what I remember of it.

I grew up in the dawn of social media - Facebook wasn't a thing yet, but instant messaging was an easy way of talking to each other online without our parents finding out.

We teens found many ways to make each other's lives miserable, like making fake profiles and sending cruel, anonymous messages. In the decade since, it's only got worse.

What many in the older generation don't realise is that harassment is far more constant and inescapable than a nude photo going viral or a mean text message.

There's no taking back roads to avoid the bigger kids or living a spotless life to protect your reputation - it's 24/7.

The best thing we can do to help the teens in our lives is show them we care - like Hannah on the show, sometimes a person in trouble is just searching for one person to show they care.

Helplines

Youthline 0800 376 633

Lifeline 0800 543 354, Free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz

Suicide Prevention Helpline 0508 828 865

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or free text 4202