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Kids’ suicides spiked after Netflix’s ‘13 Reasons,’ study finds

A new study says suicides among U.S. kids age 10 to 17 spiked in the month following the release of a popular TV series that depicted a girl ending her life.

The study published today can’t prove that the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why” was the cause, but the researchers found that there were 195 more youth suicides than would have been expected in the nine months following the show’s March 2017 release, given historical and seasonal trends.

During April 2017 alone, 190 U.S. tweens and teens took their own lives. The April rate was nearly 30% higher than in the preceding 19 years.

A Netflix spokesman says it’s looking into the research. He says it works hard to ensure the issue is handled responsibly.

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