DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my friends can be inconsiderate sometimes. I'll text him about meeting up a few days in advance, and he tells me he will get back to me but never does. I'm going away on a trip in a couple of days, and I won't be able to see him before he leaves for college. I'm annoyed that he didn't get back to me about saying goodbye but still had the time to randomly follow me on Instagram. How can I address this issue with him without seeming overdramatic? -- Longing for My Friend, Westchester, New York

DEAR LONGING FOR MY FRIEND: You are witnessing a terrible downside to social media. In the company of one's own personal space on one's own time, a person can engage others -- sort of -- by the click of a button without having to take the time to actually communicate one-on-one. Social media can be useful, but when it turns into what can seem like either a distraction much like a video game or a substitute for human interaction, it can turn into a problem.

People still want personal engagement. What you may want to do is use social media to make that point to your friend. Tell him via Instagram that you miss him and that your feelings are hurt that he has been MIA. This may be the way he hears right now.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My girlfriend and I are three years apart. It wouldn't make that much of a difference usually, but we started dating when she was a freshman in high school and I was a senior. Neither of us had a problem with it, and it has always been legal, but we waited to introduce her to my dad until she was 18 since he had a problem with her being younger. He met her recently and was very nice to her, but when she left, he told me that I'm a pedophile and that she should break up with me. I thought that this was very harsh, and it hurts to know that that's how my dad thinks of me. How can I bring this up with him and explain to him how rude that was to say? -- Wanting Dad's Blessing, Chicago

DEAR WANTING DAD'S BLESSING: Your father's concern is legitimate. You say that your relationship has always been legal. That depends upon the nature of your engagement. Illinois law allows consent for sexual activity at age 17. If you and your girlfriend were intimate before she turned 17, you could be accused of statutory rape -- even after the fact. This is why he made the statement he did. If her parents were against your relationship, you could have a big issue on your hands, regardless of how sincere you may be.

If you and your girlfriend truly love each other and want to see if you can create a relationship, you need to slow down. You may also want to talk to your father about your feelings and ask for his support in navigating this situation so that everyone is safe and at ease.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I finally spoke to my father for the first time since May. I wanted to know how he was doing, and he told me he was doing well. I got the courage to tell him that he missed my graduation ceremony, which hurt me terribly; he skipped over that response, and he went to ask me another question. I was happy to speak with him, even though I really wanted to tell him off, but I was restrained. How do I proceed with future dialogue with my father? I told him to answer my phone calls in the future, but we will see how far that goes. -- Little Faith, Memphis, Tennessee

DEAR LITTLE FAITH: One of the most difficult tasks for a person to navigate is building a meaningful relationship with someone -- even a parent -- when the other person is either reluctant to do so or unable to be committed. Sadly, you cannot control your father's reaction to you nor his behavior as it relates to communicating with you.

I can tell you that people do not like to be confronted about their behavior, especially when it is irresponsible. They tend to flee. So if you want to have a relationship with your father, you may have to stop confronting him about his actions -- or lack thereof -- even if they are egregious.

You have some very tough decisions to make that include whether you are capable of accepting him however he comes and goes or whether you want to draw the line. If he cannot treat you with respect, you can choose to close the door to him -- at least to reaching out to him.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just read the question and your response to "Under New Management," who is not comfortable helping his son purchase gifts for the mother of his son. My boyfriend's son (also 13) uses his own earned money to buy gifts for his parents for birthdays, holidays, etc. However, his parents take him to purchase such gifts. My ex-husband and I agreed that we wanted our son (who is 10) to be able to give birthday and holiday gifts to us without issues. We take him to shop for and allow him to choose what he wants to give. I even accompanied my boyfriend's son to purchase his mom's Mother's Day gift and felt blessed to be asked to help. Teaching your child to honor others with a gift is part of parenting. Under New Management may want to allow his child to earn spending money via chores if it's the thought of buying the gift that bothers him. -- Being a Parent, Salt Lake City

DEAR BEING A PARENT: Yes, Under New Management has a jaded view that is way too personal with no oversight or empathy for the child. It is important to teach children how to show their love. When children are part of divorced households, it is even more important to be active about showing how to demonstrate that affection. And parents are key in making that happen.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I are news junkies. These days, everything seems so sad and scary. War seems to be erupting all over the place. Add to that all kinds of natural disasters. It is awful. Even so, we can't get enough of it. And there is our problem: We have 11-year-old twin sons who are often around when the news is on in the background, and it's beginning to wear on them. The other night they wanted to know if we were going to be bombed like the people in Israel. We attempted to calm them down, but obviously we are the reason they are upset in the first place -- well sort of. How can we get our news fix without upsetting our kids? -- Wanting It All, Laredo, Texas

DEAR WANTING IT ALL: Turn the TV off and talk to your husband about your family. Bring up the conversation points that your children have mentioned, and speak honestly about why they even know all of the detail that has gotten them upset.

Your first responsibility has to be to your children. In this case, it means turning off the TV when they are at home, or at least turning it to child-appropriate channels. With new technology, you can record your program choices to watch after they go to sleep or when they are in another room. You must discipline yourselves to consume news out of their earshot. They will still learn about current events in passing, so you will have to educate them about some of the dangerous things that are happening in their world, but they do not need to be bombarded by it.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a friend who is a phenomenal person but is almost always unreliable. Well, that is except for when he shows up in grand style and saves the day, kind of like in the movies. While that may seem romantic and all because it is so dramatic, it makes it hard to plan anything because he often doesn't show up, even after committing to be at a particular place. Because this is how he rolls, I'm not exactly sure what I can do to make it better for our mutual friends or me. I am tired of hoping to see him and having my feelings dashed. How can I protect myself? -- Heart Protection, New York City

DEAR HEART PROTECTION: You may need to step away from this friend for a while. Stop asking him to do anything. Since he sounds somewhat like a fair weather friend, treat him that way. If he appears, enjoy his company. If you resist the temptation to ask him to do something, you limit your exposure to hurt feelings.

There is a chance your friend may not even notice the shift if he is truly the narcissist that you are describing. It doesn't matter. You are looking to protect your heart. I would give up on trying to educate him to your feelings. Stop putting yourself in a position to be hurt.