Dear Mary: How do I handle my lockdown guest’s lack of table manners?

Q. I am being driven to distraction by a touchy relation who has responded to the lockdown by WhatsApping me three or four times per day with a succession of YouTube and other video clips, accompanied by messages such as ‘You’ll love this!’ If only that were the case. None of the often lengthy video clips are particularly interesting or entertaining, yet I feel obliged to open them, not least because WhatsApp allows her to see whether or not I have done so. The arrival of each new message from her fills me with dread and exhaustion. How can I stop her from continuing to bombard me without hurting her feelings?
— Name and address withheld

A. She cannot tell if you have muted the clips, so why not turn these interruptions to your advantage? Press play and then mute and, while they are running, use the time to tackle a chore you have been procrastinating over.