There are so many major world events in the news at the moment. As a family, our dinner-table talk might focus on the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles (my thoughts are with any readers who are affected), the inauguration and the flurry of activity in the Oval Office, or the ceasefire efforts in Gaza.

But I’ll admit that TikTok has also been a big topic in our house. Frankly, it’s been dispiriting to see how invested in it my girls are, which makes me feel like a failure. They mentally prepared for losing it, mourned when it went dark, and rejoiced when it came back online. They pushed back when I asked them to have some perspective about it. I recognize that their addiction to it is unhealthy, but they don’t seem to.

My colleague Angela Haupt’s piece, “How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone,” offers some concrete steps to course-correct my parenting shortcomings. Doing things alone is one area in which I excel: As an introvert, it’s often my preference. But my kids, who are constantly connected to their phones and their friends, would be well served to learn this skill. As the article indicates, research suggests that “quality solo time boosts happiness, curbs stress, and improves life satisfaction.” Who can argue with that?

I urge you to check it out, for yourself and for your family members. But don’t let it stop you from writing to me any time at andrea@time.com.

Best,
Andrea