The archetypal Gen Xer is notoriously self-absorbed. But what do they think of the rest of society? Are they political? Do they consume ethically? Or would they rather not think about it? Canvas8 sat down with British men and women between the ages of 35 and 49 to find out what causes they care about.

Why are Gen Y turning to their Facebook feeds to keep abreast of the news? How are people living ethically, without compromise? Why are people seeking comfort and sustainability? And how have kids turned into mini role models?

For the first time ever, Gen Y voters outnumber Boomers. But while they're a voting force to be reckoned with, few people in this group are fully engaging with politics. Brigade is an app that gives simple answers to complex questions and tries to put the power back into voters' hands.

Up to 40% of a city’s electricity use may be dedicated to street lighting. But what if lampposts could do more than illuminate pavements? What if they could get brighter under dark clouds or give a lost driver directions? GE has created bulbs that work harder and longer for cities of the future.

Gen Y is often labelled as narcissistic and entitled – yet in 2013, 87% of them gave to charity. Over 60% of Millennials have donated via their mobiles, and they want transparency and simplicity when doing so. Are charities paying enough attention to tomorrow’s philanthropists?

The Pret Foundation Trust endeavours to minimise poverty in the UK by helping break the cycle of homelessness. In turn, Pret has announced that it will donate its marketing budget to five homelessness charities for Christmas. How does this move affect customers' views of the high street café?

When giving to charities, people want their money to go straight to the frontline, not be spent on paperwork. Unfortunately, these sorts of costs are fundamental to effectively running charities. Researchers have found a new model to solve this issue.

From Just Giving Facebook updates to wearing H&M’s Conscious Collection, public displays of philanthropy have become a symbol of status. But does it really matter that these new do-gooders are motivated only by people seeing them do good if the outcome is still positive?