Netflix show 13 Reasons Why caused spike in web searches on suicide

A record-breaking Netflix series about a teenage girl taking her own life caused a massive spike in internet searches about suicide, researchers have warned.

Google searches about suicide increased by nearly 20 per cent following the release of 13 Reasons Why, which depicts the anguish and eventual suicide of a teenage girl.

A study found searches including “how to commit suicide” and “how to kill yourself ” increased by 26 per cent following the show’s release on March 31 2017.

There was also a 12 per cent 0 13 Reasons: Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford rise in searches for phrases like “suicide hotline” and 23 per cent rise in “suicide prevention.”

In total, there were a staggering 1,500,000 more searches than expected in the 19 days following the show’s release.

The smash hit show was tweeted about more than 3.5million times in its first week, more than any other Netflix show.

But the researchers have demanded Netflix axe the show because of the massive spike in suicide searches.

They say 13 Reasons Why fails to meet World Health Organisation guidelines which dictate how suicide should be portrayed by the media. Associate Research Professor John Ayers at San Diego State University said “We are calling on Netflix to remove the show and edit its content.”