Amid widespread online trolling and bullying, social media users are demanding that platforms step up their security and protection measures. Twitter has responded by updating its hate speech policy to ban ‘dehumanising’ tweets based on age, disability, or disease.

Posts from extremist groups and a rise in anti-Semitic online messages have seen the German government exert pressure on social media sites to remove offensive content. In turbulent times, people crave safe online communities and are looking to institutions for increased regulation.

The representation of ethnic minorities in the media may have improved over the past half-century, but accusations of tokenism and biased coverage remain prevalent. With broadcasters and publishers often shaping cultural agendas, how can they meet their audiences’ expectations for diversity?

Social media has the ability to send its users into a spiral of self-pity one day and transform their lives through the power of community the next. Canvas8 spoke to Sarah Raphael, co-author ofMixed Feelings, about our love-hate relationship with social media and what this means for brands.