With the long-term impact of lockdown yet to be fully felt, there are signs of what the ‘new normal’ looks like. Take Replika, the AI chatbot helping Gen Zers to feel less lonely. As tech fulfils a multitude of needs for young people, a chatbot may be the next frontier in friendship.

The pandemic has pushed tech front and center and people's lives have become more digital and contactless than ever. Soul Machines creates hyper-human AI avatars to offer people friendship and mentorship, representing the next era of digital companionship and coaching.

With a unique style of humour, Kenyan social media star Elsa Majimbo is appealing to a global audience and getting on the radar of several brands. The release of her first book in collaboration with Maison Valentino shows that comedy can be a useful platform for promoting fashion.

The social media era has made it easy to discover skincare products, yet while influencers and media outlets champion various high-priced and hard-to-find items, a growing number of TikTok users are turning to their local drugstore. Why are ‘skintellectuals’ snapping everyman brands?

Online communication became the norm during the pandemic – but are internet users eager to keep using email, video calls, and social platforms for all daily interactions? Canvas8 polled 1,000 Britons and spoke to eight people to find out which comms methods they’ve been using and why.

As COVID-19 increased the prevalence of mental health issues across the UK, support services – which were already under strain pre-pandemic – were stretched to their limits. How has TikTok helped Gen Z maintain their wellbeing during the crisis? And how can it supplement clinical care?

In mid-2020, a new influencer popped up across social channels. She amassed a large following in just a couple of months, thanks to her interest in League of Legends – but she isn’t real, she’s one of an increasing number of avatars being used by companies to promote their products.

They may be the communication form of choice for many digital natives, but do young people recognise the civic power of memes and hashtags? Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Paul Mihailidis to learn how teens relate to these online ecosystems and the impact of digital interventions on their attitudes.