China’s LGBT community still often finds itself on the receiving end of state censors. However the official aversion to expressions of sexual identity appears out of step with the shifting public mood. When Weibo attempted to ‘clean up’ gay content, it faced a backlash and was forced to back down.

User confidence in social media giants has been plummeting in the wake of data privacy scandals and the rise of ‘fake news’. As a result, many are choosing to connect with like-minded individuals in micro-spaces that they believe can offer better security and a sense of community.

From the pressures of picture perfection to concerns about trolling, social media is proving to be a double-edged sword for new mums. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Alexa Fox, assistant professor of marketing at The University of Akron, to understand what drives new mums to post about their kids online.

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.