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.

TikTok may be best known for its viral challenges and surreal skits, but the social media app is evolving into much more than a platform for comedy. How are Gen Zers using this digital channel to educate and inspire their peers? And how are their online communities impacting their offline lives?

Millions of people share photos of themselves on social media every day, but the kind of pictures they post on Instagram rarely match those on Snapchat. Canvas8 spoke to marketing professors Alexa Fox and Pom Nakhata to understand how people use selfies and what it means for brands.

Whether to stay connected, informed, or distracted, social media plays multiple roles in people’s day-to-day lives – and it’s proving especially useful during the COVID-19 crisis. Canvas8 polled 1,000 Americans and spoke to nine people to find out what they want from these platforms and why.