In a recent column, Dear Abby offered guidance to two distinct individuals facing modern-day challenges. One letter writer sought advice after discovering her 17-year-old niece, Ella, had made disparaging posts about her father and stepmother on social media.
The letter writer, identified as "Second Thoughts," had invited Ella to spend a month with her family on the East Coast, a break from her home life on the West Coast. However, after making travel arrangements, she found Ella's online posts. She confronted Ella, stating, "As a loving adult, I want you to know I think it’s very inappropriate. These kinds of postings tend to reflect more about the person posting than the people the post is about. For your own good, you should know that you, too, may be judged for what you have done — if not now, possibly in the future when you least want or expect it." Ella did not respond and continued posting disrespectfully.
Dear Abby advised "Second Thoughts" to contact Ella's father to see if he was aware of the posts. The columnist suggested that if he was unaware, the letter writer should inform him. Abby noted that Ella appeared to be an unhappy girl who could benefit from a break from her father, leaving the decision of whether to cancel the visit to the letter writer.
IMAGE2
The column also addressed the plight of a 63-year-old retiree, "Willing to Work," who was struggling to find employment in the digital age. After retiring eight years prior, she decided to re-enter the workforce to manage rising costs and save money. Her primary obstacle was the widespread requirement to apply for jobs online.
"Willing to Work" described her frustration with online job sites, where clicking on an interesting listing often led to a sign-in page for a broader job portal, presenting a multitude of jobs unrelated to her initial search. Dear Abby suggested that for someone not seeking a high-level position, traditional job-seeking methods might be more effective. The advice included checking bulletin boards at community centers, senior centers, and local colleges, as well as looking for "help wanted" signs in local businesses and perusing classified ads in newspapers.