Young Brits are politically minded. 70% think social media should be used for social change, and a quarter are highly knowledgable about politics. Yet only 12% would definitely vote in a general election. Why are they so disillusioned? And is engaging via social media the answer?

People are willing to show support for social causes – provided they don't have to do much - and brands are finding new ways to tap into the strength of the herd. By re-engineering menial actions – from buying body lotion to having sex – there are ways to reward everyone.

Gen Y is often labelled as narcissistic and entitled – yet in 2013, 87% of them gave to charity. Over 60% of Millennials have donated via their mobiles, and they want transparency and simplicity when doing so. Are charities paying enough attention to tomorrow’s philanthropists?

From Just Giving Facebook updates to wearing H&M’s Conscious Collection, public displays of philanthropy have become a symbol of status. But does it really matter that these new do-gooders are motivated only by people seeing them do good if the outcome is still positive?

Kony 2012 achieved 100 million views in under one week, becoming the first viral video in history to do so. Like it or not, the campaign has resonated with millions of teenagers worldwide. How?

Lying in his hospital bed, terminally ill teenager Stephen Sutton shared a photo on Facebook for his final week. A week later, he is still alive and has raised over £3 million for charity, showing the powerful effect of telling a personal story through social media.

There are over 1.5 million charities in the US alone. We're bombarded by new campaigns and donation requests, both via Facebook and in the street – but it's hard to know who to give to. Dollar a Day lets people “spread their bets”, donating one dollar daily to a range of non-profits.

Emma Watson was appointed UN Women’s Global Goodwill Ambassador in 2014. But it was the speech she gave that drew global attention - earning approval for the actor across the web. With celebrity activists often a target for derision, how did Watson get it so right?