How Healthy Is Your ‘Social Biome’? Take Our Quiz.

By Catherine Pearson Illustrations by Oyow

April 2, 2025

We interact with people every day: A brief nod to a neighbor. A friendly chat in the school pick-up line. A heart-to-heart with a friend.

Together, these moments add up to your “social biome,” a term coined by the communication researchers Andy Merolla, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Jeffrey Hall, of the Universy of Kansas, to describe the complex ecosystem of relationships that can shape your quality of life.