I’m a freshman in high school. Since the school year started, I’ve been taking the subway with a friend from middle school. He just created an Instagram account, and he’s obsessed with it. Before, it was fun to talk with him. Now his eyes are glued to his phone the whole time, even when we’re in the middle of a conversation. I would much rather listen to music on my headphones, but I don’t know how to tell him I don’t want to commute with him anymore. Advice? —Anonymous
I’M GLAD YOU’RE THINKING about your phone-life balance and about sharing your feelings with your friend. (How else will he know?) Say: “Now that you’re on Instagram, our commutes aren’t as fun for me as when we just talked. Do you have to scroll the whole time? If that’s what you want, I’d rather listen to music and commute on my own. Do you think we can compromise?” You may not persuade him, but it’s worth a try.
—Adapted from “Social Q’s” in The New York Times Magazine