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?

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?

After a year of violence both at home and abroad, the French public is emotionally drained. With deteriorating confidence in their political system, their collectivist ideals present pro-social businesses with a unique opportunity to help dig them out of the tough times.

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?