Unlike traditional stars, online micro-celebrities regularly share their private lives through social media, using Insta Stories and Snapchat to build a sense of intimacy. Live-streaming app Bigo Live goes a step further, letting fans show their devotion with a system of gifts and one-on-one chats.

Is Facebook ‘over’? How can brands avoid accusations of woke-washing? What does the future of podcasts look like? And how are we becoming more mindful of our social media usage? In this part of the 2020 Expert Outlook, we speak to four experts about how people are interacting globally.

An app called EarBuds brings a social element to music streaming, allowing users to listen to a friend or a celebrity’s playlist in real-time. In an age of hyper-connectivity, people are seeking out platforms that facilitate a closeness between themselves, their peers, and their favorite influencers.

Authenticity has long been a buzzword in marketing, but with 51% of people saying that less than half of brands create ‘authentic’ content, there’s a significant disconnect with audiences. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. James Oakley to find out what factors affect whether something is seen as genuine.