Our Voice: Advice to graduates: Keep your chins up

We have some words of advice for those of you about to graduate from high school: Keep your chin up.

We mean that literally and figuratively.

You’re about to venture out into the world, leaving the safety of the family nest in some fashion or another. With that comes opportunity and challenge.

The world can be tough but you can overcome challenges and succeed even in the face of what seems like insurmountable adversity. It’s part of growing up and learning lessons. So keep your chin up.

Now for the hard part: we need you to put down your cellphones. Specifically, we need you to put them down while driving. The thought of teens texting and driving frightens us as much as the thought of teens driving drunk.

We know you’ll be celebrating milestones as you walk across the stage and get your diplomas. You’ll want to share those moments with the world and you should. You’ll put them on Snapchat and Instagram and other cool social platforms that we’ve probably never heard of.

And, of course, you’ll want to like, heart, retweet and all those other things to affirm the posts made by your friends on their special days. Schedules will be busy with parties with family and friends and you’ll be on the road a lot.

We know you’ve grown up with smartphones and apps, and for many of you it is nearly ingrained in your DNA to live your life publicly and share the good and bad instantaneously.

But some things can wait. Really.

Patience might be one of the lessons you learn along the way to adulthood. Please don’t text or use your apps while driving. We know you’re skilled and speedy on the keypad, but the risk is just not worth you getting hurt or hurting someone else.

Thirteen percent of drivers ages 18-20 in traffic accidents admitting to being on their devices, according to textinganddrivingsafety.com.

Fifty-five percent of young drivers claim it’s easy to text and drive. The minimum time your attention is taken away from driving when texting is five seconds. At 55 mph, you could have traveled a football field before your eyes are back on the road. A lot of things can go wrong in five seconds and 100 yards.

We see you gathered in groups, chins down, interacting through devices rather than human to human communication. We know we’re not going to change that. It’s how your generation functions.

But please lay off your phones when you’re behind the wheel. We know the struggle will be real but we know you are strong and like challenges.

We want to see the difference you’ll make in this world and we’re hoping it’s a positive one. Congratulations on your accomplishments and reaching the launching pad to adulthood.

Keep your chin up!

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 1:53 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Advice to graduates: Keep your chins up."