“Now she want a photo/You already know though
/you only live once: that’s the motto … YOLO” -Drake.

Drake, a popular hip-hop artist, recently released a song entitled “The Motto.” Within weeks, the new song reached number one on both the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and US Rap Songs billboards. Topping such a high position on the charts, “The Motto” has become very popular with high school students and is inspiring a new way of life.

Meaning “you only live once,” the new mantra is leading teenagers down the wrong path. This phrase is taken by teenagers as a reason to go out, party, get drunk or do ridiculous acts because “well, you only live once!” This is an absolutely absurd reason to engage in self-destructive activities.

“YOLO!” does not work as a phrase when following something like “let’s go sniff paint!” Let’s go sniff paint because we only live once? Insanity.

The new motto is not an excuse to act in this way, but rather a reason to act oppositely. If “you only live once,” what’s the point of ruining this one opportunity by shortening your life span or ruining your body? You only have one opportunity to live; instead of living your life taking extreme chances, we should be cherishing our lives and making sure this one opportunity lasts as long as possible.

Perhaps, instead of YOLO, teens should remember YODO- you only die once.  Make the most of your one opportunity for life. This doesn’t mean you have to take everything completely seriously and carefully, take chances, but don’t use YOLO as an excuse to take chances that can ruin your already slim time on this earth.