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Could you see your life just as easily with children as without? What if you're not cut out for parenthood? What if you grow lonely in your old age? Or what if you have a loving partner, but you disagree on this choice? Deciding between parenthood and a child-free life requires clarity about your fears and deepest desires — no easy task. This episode, psychotherapist and author of the book, The Baby Decision, Merle Bombardieri, helps us get clear. She discusses minimizing regret, normalizing feeling 'stuck' and why waiting to have a baby at 38 may be best. Want more about the decision to have kids? Many women don't want kids. And for good reason.Why are people freaking out about the birth rate?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

What does America look like to visitors?We're finding out in real time as fans and athletes from all over the world visit the United States for World Cup matches across the country. From Ranch dressing, to the wonders of all-you-can-eat buffets, tourists are getting a taste of all the USA has to offer, but how do we square the warm welcome for the World Cup with the United States' recent stances on immigration? Brittany is joined by immigration reporter Jasmine Garsd, and NPR reporter Juliana Kim to find out.Want more global perspectives on culture? Check out these episodes:How often do you think about the American Empire?Make life harder (and better): Learn another language.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.This episode was produced by Liam McBain and Corey Antonio Rose. It was edited by Neena Pathak. Our Supervising Producer is Cher Vincent. Our Executive Producer is Barton Girdwood. Our VP of Programming is Yolanda Sangweni.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

How do you practice good etiquette online?Your online life shapes your offline life -- including how you talk, listen, and interact with the world. But often, good behavior offline doesn't necessarily translate to good behavior online.  So when we get online, how do we uphold some social norms and common decencies we practice in the real world?  Brittany chats with Senior Writer at Wired, Jason Parham, to discuss what it means to establish boundaries and social etiquette within our online worlds. Want more about good etiquette? Check out these IBAM episodes:Is your neighborhood riddled with dog poop?Who needs to know where you are?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Do you know how to connect with your neighbors?According to Pew, the share of Americans who know and trust their neighbors is on the decline. There are a lot of structural reasons why you might not trust the people around you and it can be hard to put yourself out there with people you don’t know – and don’t want to bother. But getting to know the people who live near you can bring so much safety, connection, and power to your life. So how can you get to know your neighbors – and what’s standing in the way?TED Radio Hour producer Katie Monteleone tells Brittany how she built her neighbor community brick by brick – and Brittany hears from experts on why good fences can sometimes make bad neighbors.(00:00) Why Americans know and trust their neighbors less(01:28) How do you get out of isolation?(04:18) Good fences make bad neighbors(06:01) The space between us and our neighbors(10:44) Building neighborly relationships brick by brick(16:13) Can microgrants bring neighbors together?(18:25) Safety, support, and communal problem-solving(24:37) Addressing segregation and building cross-class bonds(30:38) Recovering hospitality and embracing shared destinyFor more episodes on creating better connections in our lives, check out:Boundaries, bodies, and better sexThe joy of breaking up with dating appsHow to make friends & get good gossipSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is a return to analog the way to a better future?While vinyls, DVDs, and CDs might be considered ‘vintage’ to some, for others it’s a way to fight against subscription fatigue. Price hikes, licensing battles, and storage issues can make music, films, TV shows - and even your own photos - inaccessible.  And sometimes without warning, your comfort watch might just vanish from all streaming platforms.So what does agency look like for the modern consumer? And how has the expectation -- that you own what you pay for -- shifted so dramatically?To answer that question, digital archivist K.D. Kemp and culture writer at The Cut, Cat Zhang, join the show to break down how physical media and buildable tech could empower us to envision a better future. Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy