In the 24 hours following the attacks on Paris, 4.1 million people marked themselves ‘safe’ on Facebook. It prevailed as a practical tool for the masses; a way to alleviate worry and spur a collective sigh of relief. But is Safety Check simply a helpful feature or yet another way to perpetuate fear?

While the number of terrorist incidents affecting Japan have been relatively limited, the country was shocked when two of its nationals were murdered by Islamic State militants. And it has had a significant impact on the public, with a high proportion now feeling anxious about possible terrorism.

Pre-apocalyptic ‘prepping’ is an industry valued between $500 million and several billion in the US alone. At the peak of the Ebola outbreak, Amazon US sales of full-body protective suits shot up by 131,000%. Influencing the way we buy, the apps we download and even the holidays we take, is paranoia altering society for good?

The chic boutiques of Paris are often at their busiest before Christmas, but the psychological impact of the November attacks has changed this, with many stores reporting quieter footfall and a drop in overseas shoppers. Is the tourism capital of the world in trouble?