In the US, Gen Y is the most diverse generation in history; 43% identify as non-white and 7% identify as LGBT (four points higher than average). Having grown up in a culture that celebrates diversity in race, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation, equal rights seem like a no-brainer.

Have you ever seen a dog with the face of a girl? Or your best mate with the face of their mum? Darling of iPhone camera rolls, Facebook feeds and Buzzfeed listicles alike, face swapping has become a ritual of friendship in a digital age. But what explains the lasting appeal of weirdness on the web?

Raised online, Gens Y and Z expertly craft virtual identities that reflect and enhance their offline lives. And increasingly, friends – or ‘squads’ – are a part of that image. As the hashtag of the moment, what does #squadgoals say about the way digital natives form and maintain friendships?

Influential, artistic and politically engaged, Afropunks embody a bold new approach to identity, music, art and fashion. In the seventh of a series exploring Gen Y and Z tribes, Andrea Graham Richeson looks at a new brand of ‘black cool’ that comes in many different packages.