Draft #1 of Argumentative Report

Esmeralda Santa

English 21003, Section M

Professor Matyakubova

3 October 2017

First Draft of Argumentative essay

                                                               Every Person Matters

       Last year there was a reported 30 cases of teen suicide and 25 cases of attempted teen suicide (cite). Suicide is the act of tying to kill yourself. It is a hard topic to talk about because no one wants to have a discussion on death, especially with teenagers. This lack of discussion is what leaves a hole in the development of a teenager. For this reason it should be mandatory that teenagers learn about suicide and its effects in school, so that they feel more comfortable talking about it.

       Among teens the biggest cause of death is suicide (cite). They take their own lives in many ways: pill overdosing, hanging, gunshots, etc. For a teenager who wants to commit suicide it does not matter how they kill themselves as long as they are successful. This has become a big problem in the United States. Yet, you don’t see any one bring up this subject until it actually happens to someone. One way to prevent the increase in the number of teen suicide is to address the issue and allow the person to know that there is help available.

       Having an open discussion of teen suicide can also lead on ways to prevent it from happening such as bullying. Bullying has been the main cause of teen suicide (cite). Kids, especially in High school can be so cruel that it leads to the point where others can not take it anymore. Teens can bully someone because of their looks, the way they dress, or even how they talk. Whatever reason they get bullied f it leaves the same impact; sadness and hurt. Soe kids experience verbal bullying while others physical bullying. It is this constant abuse that lead a teen to take drastic measures. They want e abuse to end which is why the kill themselves. By having suicide workshops in school, teens can at least the effects that bullying can have on someone. Perhaps the next time a teen wants to bully someone, they will think twice about doing it. Talking about suicide in school will make students realize how their actions can have a big impact in someone's life. 

        Media is a big part of a teenagers life. In the 21st century they have access to computers and t.v.s. When it comes to teen suicide there are also not many shows that talk about it. Which is why when the show 13 reasons why came out it sparked conversation. The sow 13 reasons why, follows the story of a teen named Hannah Baker who commits suicide and leaves behind 13 tapes, each one explaining why she skilled herself. The point o this show was not to give teen ideas of suicide, but rather show them how the death of Hannah Baker could have been prevented. (source)

         Besides the t.v industry, the music industry has also showed a lack of teen suicide awareness, but there is one artist who has used his platform to speak about the issue. Rapper Logic created a song titled 18002738255, which is the suicide prevention hotline, where he raps about in the beginning wanting to kill himself because no one care about him, than in the end realizing that there is help available. This song has a powerful message and the music video is powerful as well. It is based on a gay African -American teen whose father wants nothing to do with him for being gay and also gets bullied in school for the same issue. The teen feels that his life is worthless and is close to shooting himself, but at the last minute changes his mind. Instead he seeks help by calling the hotline and from than his life changes for the better. When Logic performed this song at the MTV VMAs show, suicide calls increased by 90% (cite). This all happened because of a song, now imagine what can happen if suicide was addressed in schools. Teens would be more aware of the problem and seek help.