Netflix’s Safe, 13 Reasons Why Good for Parents and Teens

Last week, I said I was going to binge watch Safe or 13 Reasons Why over Memorial Day weekend. I thought I’d only have time to watch one. As it turned out, I was able to stream both of these shows over the long weekend. After I concluded all the episodes of each respective season, I got the strong feeling that these shows would be good for parents to watch with their teenaged children. Each side – parent and teenager – can learn a lot about the issues and struggles of the other just by enjoying these Netflix shows.

What Netflix’s Safe Can Teach Teenagers

Teenagers just don’t listen to their parents. Sound familiar? This is one of the most common complaints that parents have. Teens are angry, hormonal, and rebellious, and often seem compelled to make the worst decisions possible. No amount of warnings or life lessons will change some kids’ minds. If this sounds like your kid, you should watch Safe with them. The misguided actions of a willful teen sets into motion a chain of events that leads to the death of three people, among other tragedies.

If your teen has ever told you that you worry too much about them, you should watch Safe with them. The show centers on Tom Delaney (Michael C. Hall), a surgeon and widower whose daughter goes missing after her boyfriend turns up dead. We see Tom go through a range of emotions as he desperately searches for her. All the while, he is confronted with thoughts that his daughter might be dead while he struggles to stay hopeful that she might be alive. This accurately portrays the range of emotions some teens subject their parents to on a somewhat regular basis.

The themes of parents’ relationships with their children is woven throughout the first season of Safe in many ways. (See if you can recognize each of them.) If you want your teenager to understand what it feels like to be a worried parent, Safe is the show for you. It also shows viewers just how fragile life can be. This is a crucial reminder for those teens who think they’re invincible. While this show deals with some adult themes, many teens are taking adult-sized risks these days. This makes Safe a perfect conversation piece between parents and their kids.

Here’s a trailer of Safe’s first season:

13 Reasons Why for Parents and Teens

Teenagers aren’t going to take the rap throughout this entire post. Parents have a lot to learn when it comes to relating to their children, too. The second season of 13 Reasons Why focuses on the perspectives of a group of teenagers deeply affected by their friend’s suicide. Fair warning: This show deals with serious themes that include suicide, sexual activity, and school shootings. Since many of today’s teens struggle with these and other issues, 13 Reasons Why is very topical.

What’s interesting and realistic about this series is how well the teens hide their problems from their parents. Thinking back on my days as a teenager, my parents didn’t have a clue about what I was going through. I would always chuckle inside whenever I would hear parents say, “I always know when something’s bothering my kid.” (Sorry, Mom and Dad!) That was just their egos talking. It also can be a problem when teens are struggling with problems that are too big for them to handle.

Once we become parents, we forget what it’s like to be a teenager. Those feelings of loneliness, alienation, and yearning to be accepted fade away because these are not part of our everyday lives. Many parents also forget how brutal and socially isolating high school can be. Watching 13 Reasons Why is a good way for parents to get back in touch with the perils and pitfall of teenage life. It also might build a bridge to better understanding what your child(ren) might be going through.

Take a look at 13 Reason Why’s second season:

Enjoy Streaming These Netflix Series!

Streaming is usually just entertainment for me. Mrs. Buckler and I find a movie or series that looks interesting, and we take a chance on it. While some of the best writing is on TV, it’s a simple way to decompress after a long day of jobs, kids, and other responsibilities. For the first time in a long time, Netflix has given viewers something more than just a distraction. Safe and 13 Reasons Why give parents and their teenage children something to discuss. This is something more for nearly anyone who likes to stream movies online.

About the Author

Jake Buckler
Jake Buckler is a cord-cutter, consumer electronics geek, and Celtic folk music fan. Those qualities, and his writing experience, helped him land a copywriting gig at Signal Group, LLC. He also contributes to The Solid Signal Blog.