Lifestyle
How Healthy Is Your Social Biome? Take Our Quiz.
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.
In their new book, “The Social Biome,” Dr. Merolla and Dr. Hall argue that there are several key elements that contribute to a vibrant, healthy social biome.
Our daily routines and rhythms are different, the researchers acknowledge, and there is no one right or best way to boost social well-being. But this 15-question quiz can help you take stock of your habits, and the results will offer simple suggestions to strengthen your social biome.
Don’t overthink it. Social patterns can change over time, so just pick the answer that feels right for you now.
Diverse Social Interactions
It takes a village to have a healthy social life. “Friends, family, colleagues, teammates, neighbors, spouses and children all have something different to offer us,” Dr. Merolla and Dr. Hall write. How diverse are your daily interactions?
I am friendly with my next-door neighbors — and make an effort to say hello whenever I see them.
1 of 15
2 of 15
When I don’t see eye to eye with someone on a topic, I try to get out of that conversation as fast as I can.
I have people in my life who challenge my viewpoints respectfully. 3 of 15
Restorative Solitude
We all need alone time. “Because all social interactions are energy depleting, time alone is restorative,” Dr. Merolla and Dr. Hall contend. How do you handle solitude?
Even when I’m alone, I feel a sense of connection to the important people in my life.
4 of 15
I can sense when I’ve had too much social interaction and need to be alone.
5 of 15
When I’m alone, my first instinct is usually to grab my phone to catch up on news or social media.
6 of 15
Meaningful Talk
The quality of our social interactions is just as important as the quantity. “A healthy social biome is both cause and consequence of these little acts of kindness and sociability,” Dr. Merolla and Dr. Hall write. How meaningful are the words that you share throughout your day?
7 of 15
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a meaningful face-to-face interaction with a friend.
Throughout the day, I often find moments to joke around with others. 8 of 15
I make a point of expressing affection, whether it’s telling family members I love them or offering colleagues genuine compliments.
9 of 15
Communication With Strangers
Small talk can have big benefits. “On days when people feel happier, more upbeat and more energetic, they tend to be more open to the world, friendlier and warmer,” according to research cited in “The Social Biome.” How often, and how easily, do you interact with strangers?
I can’t remember the last time I had a conversation with a stranger.
10 of 15
I feel comfortable chatting with people when I’m out in public, like at a grocery store or a coffee shop.
11 of 15
12 of 15
Meeting new people is stressful! Most times, I don’t enjoy it.
Choosing Sociability
Wanting to connect with others is powerful. “Choosing an interaction is a sign that people want to invest energy in a person, conversation or situation,” the authors find. How much agency do you have over your social interactions?
I make sure lunch or dinner with friends is regularly on my calendar. 13 of 15
If I have plans to hang out with friends, but just don’t feel like going, I will probably cancel.
14 of 15
I don’t mind being the one who reaches out to people to make plans to hang out.
15 of 15
Kevin Spacey speaks on stage at the Better World Fund Gala in Cannes, France, where he was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
Getty Images/Getty Images Europe
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Facing new sexual assault allegations in the U.K., actor Kevin Spacey was honored at a benefit gala in Cannes, France, which is currently hosting its prestigious film festival.
Spacey’s appearance raised eyebrows, but he was warmly greeted during a photo shoot.
As reported by AFP, Spacey told the media before the event, “I feel surrounded by so much affection and love. I’ve heard from so many of my friends and colleagues and co-stars in the last week since this award was announced.” He added, “It’s very nice to be back.”
When asked if this was the beginning of a comeback for him, Spacey was quoted as saying, “I’m glad to be working, I’ll tell you that.”
While it’s not directly associated with the festival, the Better World Fund Gala took place Tuesday night at the Carlton Hotel, one of the festival’s premier sites.
The Better World Fund supports “cinema & art at the service of humanity,” focusing on women’s rights, gender equality and education.https://www.betterworld.fund/Previous galas honored actors Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Sharon Stone. This year, it celebrated Spacey’s lifetime achievements, including Academy Awards for The Usual Suspects (1995) and American Beauty (1999) and his roles in Se7en (1995) and House of Cards (2013-2018).
“Kevin’s extraordinary contributions to the art of cinema have left a mark on audiences and filmmakers alike,” Manuel Collas De La Roche, the president and founder of the Better World Fund, said in a statement. “His talent, depth, and commitment to storytelling exemplify the transformative power of film. It is with great excitement that we celebrate his legacy and presence at this meaningful gathering.”
This is just the latest lifetime achievement award the 65-year-old has received since his acting career was derailed by a number of sexual misconduct allegations and trials. Since 2017, more than 30 men have accused Spacey of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior, including actor Guy Pearce, who claims Spacey behaved inappropriately toward him on the set of the 1997 film LA Confidential. On X, Spacey posted a video telling Pearce to “grow up. You are not a victim.”
In 2018, Spacey faced felony charges of indecent assault and battery against an 18-year-old man, though prosecutors dropped the case after the witness stopped testifying.
Actor Anthony Rapp claimed he was 14 when Spacey molested him. In 2020, Rapp sued him for $40 million in damages in a civil court, but two years later, a jury found Spacey not liable. After that, Netflix fired Spacey from his role on the hit series House of Cards, and Ridley Scott replaced him with another actor in the film All the Money in the World.
The following year in London, Spacey was acquitted of multiple counts of sexual assault and indecent assault incidents in the U.K. that dated back to the period between 2001 and 2013, when Spacey served as the artistic director of London’s Old Vic theater. In February of this year, actor Ruari Cannon filed a civil lawsuit at London’s High Court against Spacey and the Old Vic, although details have not yet been revealed.
In recent years, Spacey has quietly returned to acting, mostly in Italian films, including a role as the devil in the 2024 thriller The Contract. His trip to Cannes and the Better World Fund award were organized by producers of the British independent film The Awakening, described by Camelot Films as a “conspiracy action thriller.”
Producers from the production company are at Cannes to sell the film, and brought Spacey to meet with potential buyers. Camelot Films is one of the sponsors of the Better World Fund gala.
Spacey’s appearance during the Cannes Film Festival came as Cannes officials declared French actor Theo Navarro-Mussy a persona non grata on the Promenade de la Croisette. The 34-year-old actor faces rape allegations against him from three of his former partners. Their complaints were dismissed for lack of evidence, but they reportedly plan to file a new complaint. The festival’s opening was marred by the sexual assault conviction of one of France’s most iconic cinematic figures, Gerard Depardieu.
Bill Belichick’s Ex Linda Holliday
Confronted Jordon Hudson At Christmas Party
… & Threatened Miss Massachusetts
Published
Bill Belichick‘s ex-girlfriend, Linda Holliday, ran into his current one, Jordon Hudson, while the two were at a Christmas party late last year … and TMZ Sports has learned their meetup was anything but friendly.
The intense encounter went down on Dec. 6 … at a “Stroll Party” in Massachusetts hosted by Dreamland — which describes itself as “Nantucket Island’s Year-Round Nonprofit Film, Performing Arts & Cultural Center.”
Holliday’s daughters — Ashley and Kat Hess, AKA The Hess Twins — were DJing the bash … which started at around 7 PM.
But, according to a Dreamland incident report we obtained, at around 9:30 PM — Holliday, who reportedly moved into a Belichick-purchased Nantucket home in 2024, contacted an event official with a Hudson-related issue.
The documents state Holliday was upset by the presence of Belichick’s current girlfriend … believing it was “inappropriate, since the event was widely advertised as a party headlined by her daughters.”
“She asked that I remove Ms. Hudson from the premises,” the official wrote in the report.
A short time later, according to the documents, Holliday was seen on security video confronting Hudson with a few of her friends right in the middle of a dance floor — where roughly 200 people were partying.
The documents state as the Dreamland official approached the scene, Holliday and her friends “backed away” as the person questioned Hudson.
“I asked Ms. Hudson if she thought it was a good idea to be there considering the clear animosity the above individuals felt towards her,” the official wrote in the docs. “She defended herself by saying she’d done nothing wrong, and it was her first time attending Christmas Stroll and wanted to attend the ‘big party’ going on that night, which happened to be the one featuring the Hess Twins.”
“She said she was not looking to cause any problems, but just wanted to go out and have fun with her friend,” who the report ID’ed as Melissa Sapini, Miss Massachusetts USA 2024.
After being reminded there were only a few minutes remaining in the party, Hudson agreed to leave — but as she and Sapini were walking out, the event staffer stated Hudson told them Holliday, who has ties to the pageant world, threatened Sapini while they were on the dance floor.
She said Holliday told Sapini if she “valued her current title, she should think twice about who her friends are.”
Holliday allegedly added that she “had many powerful friends in the pageant organization.”
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The documents noted Sapini did not speak, but did begin to cry in the corner of the room while the conversation was going on.
A short time later, the event staffer returned to speak with Holliday, who said, “If this didn’t involve my girls, I don’t think this would have bothered me as much, but because it did the ‘momma bear’ in me came out.’”
Dreamland declined to issue a formal comment on the incident, though a spokesperson for the org. did tell us despite the heated nature of the matter, police never got involved and neither did event security. The rep added no one is facing any kind of ban … and all involved parties will be allowed back at future events.
We’ve reached out to Hudson and Holliday for comment, but multiple attempts to contact the two have been unsuccessful.
Holliday, of course, dated Belichick for nearly two decades … from 2007 to 2022. A short time after they split, Belichick got romantic with Hudson, whom he met on a plane ride in 2021.
Alexander Skarsgård in Murderbot.
Apple TV
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Alexander Skarsgård in Murderbot.
Apple TV
Murderbot is a very smart, very funny new sci-fi comedy series on Apple TV+. It stars Alexander Skarsgård as a cyborg who works security for a team of hapless, bumbling scientists exploring a dangerous planet. He’s hacked his own system and gained free will – a fact he tries to hide from them, even as he sardonically judges their naïve and foolhardy actions, and craves nothing more than to be left alone to watch his soap operas.
To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy.
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