How the popular social media app affects our brain, our behavior, and our mental health — There are more than a billion users on TikTok today, including nearly 25% of the United States. At the same time, TikTok’s demographic skews towards younger audiences, with 63% of the platform comprising users under age 30. This isn’t an uncommon phenomenon — younger demographics tend to be the first…

From its soul-sucking Dementors to its marginalized heroes, the world of ‘Harry Potter’ world helps kids learn tolerance and compassion — More than 500 million copies of Harry Potter have sold worldwide, making it the best selling book series of all time. I was six when my mother read Harry Potter to me for the first time. …

Take it from someone who has to do this a lot… — Giving effective feedback can be tough — there’s no doubt about it. If you’re too nice, then nothing changes. But if you’re not careful, and you phrase things in a certain way, then you could unintentionally damage their self-esteem, and your relationship. On one hand, constructive criticism is an important…

Look out for these corrections to strengthen your writing. — After editing the works of others for several years, I have come to understand two truths. Grammar is made up. There is no universally perfect way to write something, and other writers will fight you to the death over the oxford comma (use it people). Even though there is no…

On grief, estrangement, and the distance of lost time. — When my aunt died, I hadn’t seen her in 10 years. My mother hadn’t seen her in 8 years. Even on their own, those numbers could be heartbreaking. But there was another number looming overhead, demanding to be felt in the space created by our grief. …

Perspective from an American citizen — As of May 14, the United States and New Zealand have both tentatively reopened restaurants and bars. On the surface, the restrictions and privileges are relatively similar between the two nations — but that is where the similarities end. …

Stories from female solo travelers on how they deal with the fear of sexual assault — New Zealand There’s a 40-year-old American woman staying in my hostel in Otago, New Zealand. She says that any time she gets a “bad vibe” from a man in a hostel, she sleeps with her switchblade open under her pillow. She says, “it’s the only way I can sleep at night. I…

The memories that music brings back — I pressed play, drowsy in sleep and waiting for coffee to kick in. The music started, bass pounded, and everything else faded away as I was lost in forgotten memories. Spotify’s “Your 2019 Wrapped” shows your top artists, songs, and albums from the year. With the 2010s coming to a…

Work your way up to confident presentations — Public speaking is the most common fear in the United States — more than 25% of people cite it as their biggest fear. But you don’t have to be afraid of something forever, just because you’re afraid of it now. Public speaking is a skill, just like running, design, or…