I straightened my hair today. #YOLO
Not doing my homework tonight. #YOLO
Pulling an all-nighter today. #YOLO
Drinking milk straight from the jug. #YOLO
YOLO is intended to mean “you only live once, so make your future the best it can possibly be.”
“I’m going to just fail this test ‘cause YOLO!”
“I just got dress-coded. YOLO!”
The idea of “you only live once” is not a poor one. When I hear this, I think of Mae West’s quote, “you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” This seems like a better quote to live by.
If you believe in this philosophy, then you probably believe it is going to make your errors less serious. Using YOLO as an excuse for carelessness should not be okay under any circumstance. As a phrase that is intended for a promising future, YOLO is misused.
One may say that kids skipping a night of homework are a common mistake. But, I am starting to believe that kids do this purposely, due to YOLO.
I think saying YOLO about a common mistake is funny and lightens the mood.
Other times, when YOLO is used in a serious way, it sounds stupid and ignorant. Seldom do we think of the outcomes of YOLO. For instance, not doing homework one night guarantees a bad grade. Pulling an all-nighter guarantees drowsiness in classes and even falling asleep.
Kids simply use this term as a sign of humor; how do we know when enough is enough?
YOLO has luckily died down a bit. I am sure this is a topic that will be brought back up as summer begins. With summer break and without the pressure of keeping up grades, kids will start making immature decisions. An old Chinese proverb stated “a wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.”
Little did Drake know that teenagers would misinterpret it. If taken out of hand, YOLO could be the cause of accidents due to teens taking it so seriously.
I would like to believe that this is not a quote that is taken so seriously in my generation. Teenagers should be more open minded about getting their future straight before the fun comes. Partying, failing tests, and sneaking out may seem like a source of fun right now, but this does not guarantee such an agreeable future.
