I've seen graffiti around town showing a marijuana plant with the term YOLO beside the picture. I've seen pictures of teenagers underage drinking and smoking marijuana saying "YOLO". I've seen people "tweeting" about how they're doing something crazy with, "#YOLO" beside the tweet. Now I'm a very negative realistic person that takes things very literally, so allow me to show how the aforementioned actions are quite stupid. This could get long.
To the people tagging places with the term "YOLO": Sure, you're expressing yourself. Sure, you might be creative and all. You know what else you're doing VANDALIZING. You and several others might find your little display of art cool, but you know who doesn't? The people that own the buildings and walls that you choose to spray paint the term "YOLO" on. Many times, the vandalism is on buildings and structures owned by the city and state and tax payer dollars are put to removing this vandalism.
To the people getting drunk and high out of their minds while dropping the term "YOLO" here and there and to the people tweeting "#YOLO" while telling of how you're doing something stupid: You only live once? How would you like to spend your one lifetime in hospitalized from alcohol poisoning or after you do something dangerous while being high? Onward to the people tweeting about how they're doing crazy stuff. "Just *insert illegal action*, #YOLO !" Oh, you only live once? How would you like to spend that one lifetime in jail? Not so free anymore, are you?
What I'm trying to say is that, we shouldn't do illegal and dumb things just because "you only live once." Yes, we only live once, but why not spend that one lifetime making smarter decisions that have no repercussions? I'm all for living life to the fullest and without regret because we only get one lifetime, but some people just blow this term out of proportion.Take the meme of the girl above. She's partying at first, having the time of her life "#YOLO." She then comes to find that she is pregnant.
Our media has allowed this infectious term spread and seep into the minds of our youth and I see no problem with that as long as they aren't using YOLO as an excuse to do bad, crazy, stupid things. Many need to realize that we can't all be completely carefree in life. With actions, come consequences. We all get one lifetime. Think about our futures. People saying this are roughly teenagers all the way to people in their twenties. This age group still has years to go in their lifetime. The crazy and fun things they are doing now may have negative consequences in the future that they will come to deeply regret. Enjoy your one lifetime, but be responsible about it and think of the consequences.
I completely agree Jessica, things like "YOLO" and other items spread through social media have started to distract the minds of us teenagers away from school work. I should know...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Jessica! Hearing younger kids say "YOLO" at a younger age than us and going off to do really irresponsible and dangerous things makes me really sad. They have so much time to go and do amazing things, and by saying "you only live once" and trying to do something dangerous or illegal results with bad consequences, or maybe no life to live at all.
ReplyDeletePeople aren't being responsible and are thinking they can go reckless because they think life is short and you're only so young for so long. But they can make something of themselves and really do something with their lives, not ruin by shouting "YOLO" at the top of their lungs and doing something they'll regret and will end terribly.
I really dislike the term YOLO, because the media and completely twists the meaning around. It's the straw man fallacy! People really need to rethink what "you only live once" means when they're vandalizing, stealing, drinking, and other results of the media's image of "YOLO".