Pre-apocalyptic ‘prepping’ is an industry valued between $500 million and several billion in the US alone. At the peak of the Ebola outbreak, Amazon US sales of full-body protective suits shot up by 131,000%. Influencing the way we buy, the apps we download and even the holidays we take, is paranoia altering society for good?

Ever since we began handing over our data online, surveillance has become an accepted part of modern life. In this climate, privacy has become the ultimate luxury, available only to the super-rich – like the residents of Hidden Hills, an exclusive neighbourhood in LA.

Would you rather jet off to the Bahamas next week, or save and go in a years’ time? In an ‘I want it now’ culture, thinking for the future is hard. When two-thirds of boomers retire they won’t have saved enough to maintain their lifestyle. How can brands encourage people to think about tomorrow, today?

Following three terror attacks in Munich in July, government anxieties are running high. So as part of a new civil defence plan, the German government is urging people to stockpile supplies. But level-headed citizens are openly mocking the proposition, considering it to be fearmongering.