Alone Time Is Essential to a Healthy Social Life
Breaking news for introverts: New research on the ‘social biome’ shows that solitude is crucial for well-being
Scientists are only just beginning to understand the full reach of the gut microbiome — the diverse community of microorganisms living inside your digestive tract that’s been shown to influence everything from your immune system to your mood. Maintaining balance in this community, a growing body of research suggests, has a strong ripple effect for both mental and physical health.
It’s also, as the communications researcher Jeffrey Hall argues, a great metaphor. The microbiome is the framing he uses to explain his concept of the “social biome,” the idea that social well-being depends on a regular, varied mix of interactions.
“We were fascinated with the idea that you have this balance in your body of things that help keep you healthy,” says Hall, a professor at the University of Kansas. “When it’s out of balance, you don’t flourish, and you get sick. This was us saying, ‘Let’s think about human interaction like nutrition.’”
In a new study in the journal Human Communication Research, Hall and co-author Andy Merolla, a professor of communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara, analyzed more…
