YSM explores the pros and cons of giving at-home DNA tests as gifts

Perhaps 2017 might be remembered as the first holiday season when at-home genetic testing kits received the same billing as the latest version of Amazon's electronic assistant Alexa. These kits, which allow consumers to submit a saliva sample via mail and have their DNA sequenced, were a big seller during the four days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. The popular testing company Ancestry sold more than 1.5 million kits, according to its website. As the kits become more ubiquitous, two leading companies in this space, 23andMe and Ancestry, don't hesitate to play up the gift-giving angle on their websites. "'Tis the season! Give the gift of discovery," reads one advertisement on 23andMe's landing page. Ancestry promotes its holiday sale with special three-for-one pricing. (Since they first appeared on the market a decade ago, the cost for some of these tests has dropped from hundreds of dollars to the equivalent of half a year's subscription to Netflix.