Research has revealed that validation is the most effective support for people who are stressed, compared to other verbal means. With hundreds of millions of people stressed out by COVID-19, the research offers an insight into how certain types of comms can help ease social discomfort.

Instead of viewing mask-wearing as a negative thing, female Gen Zers are more attracted to a man who’s masked up. While many debate mask-wearing, a study shows how some people are not only normalising masks, but finding themselves attracted to the social values signalled by those who wear them.

COVID-19 could potentially reshape people’s shopping habits based on the way that businesses respond to the crisis. Canvas8 spoke to semiotics expert Soma Ghosh to learn how brands are honing their communications to reassure and empower audiences – and win their loyalty in the process.

The end of lockdown restrictions in the UK meant that people would no longer be obliged to wear face masks in public – but many have continued to do so. Canvas8 spoke to eight Britons to understand how they view mask-wearing in the context of individual rights versus collective responsibility.