Have you seen "Operation Varsity Blues" on Netflix yet? It's one of the network's most-streamed shows these days and it's full of Sacramento connections.

It's shocked viewers for two reasons.

One, it's still hard to believe Aunt Becky did what she did. Two, it's truly sad to find out how much stress high school kids face trying to get into the college of their dreams.

And, that was pre-pandemic.

Now, kids have spent the last year in isolation spending more time alone and on screens.

Wellbeings.org tracked 1,000 teens last fall. The results are shocking.

Half said their mental health is worse or somewhat worse than it was pre-pandemic. More than 50% said their social life is worse or somewhat worse. And 72% feel coronavirus will put their generation at a disadvantage for a long time.

It means the relationship between parent and teen has never been more important.

The problem is it's now more complicated than ever.

That's why Cynthia Muchnick and Jenn Curtis wrote "The Parent Compass: Navigating your Teen's Wellness & Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World."

Neither Muchnick nor Curtis knew families were taking fake rowing pics to scam their way into prestigious schools. But they did know that something awful was brewing in how families pursued college acceptances overall.

Both have worked as college counselors for years and were troubled by what they were seeing in their offices. Kids who couldn't speak for themselves. Parents who can't stop talking about their kids' college dreams.

Muchnick and Curtis say now is the time to reboot how you parent and see your kid for who they truly are, and more importantly, who they truly want to become. Failing to do so can have disastrous results.

On this Dying to Ask:

How to be a more effective parent during the teen years.

What the college process is really like right now.

And why pandemic parents need to give themselves a timeout and learn how to listen.