What’s the least awkward way to online date during a pandemic? The String app is betting on voice notes. Less invasive than video chatting and more intimate than texting, sending audio snippets gives singletons the control they crave while letting them express their personality in a natural way.

Whether to stay connected, informed, or distracted, social media plays multiple roles in people’s day-to-day lives – and it’s proving especially useful during the COVID-19 crisis. Canvas8 polled 1,000 Americans and spoke to nine people to find out what they want from these platforms and why.

As the pandemic continues to heighten hygiene awareness, it’s having an effect on our everyday interactions. A survey has shown that people are open to voice tech as an alternative to touch experiences in public settings, creating room for brands to explore new innovations.

Social media has the ability to send its users into a spiral of self-pity one day and transform their lives through the power of community the next. Canvas8 spoke to Sarah Raphael, co-author of Mixed Feelings, about our love-hate relationship with social media and what this means for brands.