Lonely kids, synthetic pals: This is so sad to me. A new report says a third of kids using AI chatbots feel like they’re talking to a real friend. A quarter say they turn to AI because they literally have no one else. Make sure the kiddos in your family aren’t one of them.
AI won’t fix your grief, but it can help manage it
ChatGPT
“Hi, Kim, I’ve been taking care of my dad since his stroke. Your story about using ChatGPT to map out questions for our doctors has actually truly helped me feel a little more in control. It’s not perfect, but it’s been a lifeline.” — Maya in Ohio
Thanks for your kind note, Maya. Being a caregiver, whether you’re managing appointments, meals or moods, is a job you didn’t apply for, can’t quit and will never be fully prepared for. It’s lonely, scary and exhausting. I’ve been there.
The internet has a million tips on palliative care and side effects, but very little on the emotional black hole you’re staring into. That’s where AI, surprisingly, can actually help.
Note: This story is a little longer than most I put here in the newsletter. But it’s an important one that I feel will help you and many of my readers.
❤️🩹 Sample prompts
You’re not only dealing with logistics.
You’re managing panic, insomnia, guilt and anticipatory grief. And no, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot or any of the other AI chatbots can’t hug you. That would get out of hand, real quick.
Getting started is often the hardest part. I put together some prompts for you to try with your favorite AI chatbot. I hope this helps you, even a little bit.
Let’s start with you
Tell your chatbot what’s going on with you and your loved one. It won’t know how to help unless you are completely honest.
- “Act like a therapist and help me process the overwhelming stress I’m feeling right now.”
- “What are ways I can still be here to help but not let it consume me?”
- “What questions should I ask myself when I feel overwhelmed and guilty for just needing a break?”
Hard talks with family or patient
$340
The top-end price for a custom spell on Etsy. That’s right, people are shelling out grocery money for mystical assurance (paywall link). I get it, times are tough, but there’s no need to make it harder on your wallet. Hope, apparently, isn’t just a strategy, it’s a billable service on Etsy.
Restart your internet the right way: Unplug both your modem and router, then wait 30 seconds. Plug in the modem first and wait 60 seconds until the lights are back. Then plug in your router and wait two minutes. Still no luck? Time to call your internet provider.
🌞 See visitors, not the sky: The best height to mount your video doorbell is 48 inches from the ground. Why? Most have a wide field of view, so there’s no need to go higher.
📁 Customize your Start Menu: On Windows 11, you can add folders like Documents, Downloads, Music and Pictures next to the Power button. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start > Folders and toggle On what you want. Next time you open the Start Menu, you’ll see those icons right at the bottom.
🍏 Mac not responding? Sometimes apps freeze and won’t close with Cmd + Q. If you’re stuck with the spinning beach ball, press Cmd + Option + Esc. Select the frozen app, click Force Quit, and it’ll shut down completely.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Take a screenshot. On iPhone, press the Side button + Volume Up. On Android, it’s usually the Power button + Volume Down.
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🔍 Change your Chrome search engine: You don’t have to stick with Google. Chrome also gives you options like Bing, Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo and Yandex. Go to Settings > Search engine > Change, pick one, then hit Set as default.
⏰ Add a clock to your Kindle: Want to keep an eye on the time while reading? In a book, tap the Aa icon > More > and turn on Show Clock While Reading. You’ll see the time at the top of the screen. Pretty helpful if you keep staying up way past your bedtime.
🖥️ Turn on dark mode in Windows 11: Out of the box, Windows 11 uses a light background with dark text. To switch it up, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode and select Dark. Want more control? Choose Custom to set dark mode separately for menus and apps.
📅 Schedule emails in Gmail: Most people don’t know this, but you can write an email now and send it later. In the compose window, click the arrow next to the blue Send button and choose Schedule send. Select Pick date & time, fill in the deets, then click Schedule send again. Easy.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: When your cell service is acting up, switch on Airplane mode, wait a few seconds and turn it off. Your phone will reconnect to the nearest tower. Nice.
👋 Weekend chores are more fun with company. Catch my award-winning weekend radio show on a station near you. Not sure where and when? Enter your ZIP code into my handy-dandy station finder, or get my show’s podcast to listen on your schedule.
📱 Samsung S25 Ultra display fix: By default, it doesn’t use its highest screen resolution. Go to Settings > Display > Screen resolution, switch to QHD+ and hit Apply. Then go back to Display, tap Motion smoothness and choose Adaptive. It’ll use more battery, but everything will look way better. FYI: The price just dropped.
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🍏 Save a web page as a PDF: On iPad, let’s say you’re in Safari on a Wikipedia article. Tap the Share icon in the top right and select Print. Choose the Range (pages you want), then hit the Share icon again. Select Save to Files, choose On My iPad or iCloud Drive, and press Save.
🔦 Let there be light: On iPhone, you can control your flashlight’s brightness. Open Control Center, press and hold the flashlight icon, and wait for the larger beam slider to appear. Slide up to brighten or down to dim. Bonus: If your model has a multi-LED flash, swipe left or right to adjust the beam’s focus.
80%
That’s how accurately one dog sniffed out Parkinson’s, just from skin oil. Wow, right? In a double-blind trial, a lab-golden mix nailed 32 out of 40 cases of a disease that normally takes years to diagnose. No blood. No scans. Man’s best friend? More like neurology’s new MVP.