Lush has announced it’s leaving most of its social media platforms, citing concerns over safety and the effect those platforms can have on mental health. The move points to opportunities to innovate the ways in which businesses and consumers connect in a time of growing social media fatigue.

Donald Trump, who was banned in early 2021 from Twitter and Facebook, is set to launch his own ‘non-cancellable’ social media platform, TRUTH Social. Whilst questions remain about its feasibility, it is a reminder of the polarised political arena in which brands are expected to make a stand.

With the pandemic, BLM protests across the US, and the 2020 election, people are feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the news. So You Want To Talk About is a platform co-opting the bite-sized visual language of Instagram to keep people informed about social justice issues in an accessible 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 Britons and spoke to eight people to find out what they want from these platforms and why.