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.

In the middle of a pandemic, Americans are scrambling to keep abreast of the headlines – and stay sane while doing so. How can people stay informed while maintaining their mental health? And what else, besides objective information, can the media offer to those stuck at home?

People are wary of the dangers of fake news and they're looking to social media giants to take responsibility for keeping it from spreading. To that end, Twitter is testing an alert that prompts users to read articles before sending them as opposed to taking all online information at face value.

The global coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown has created a multitude of technological solutions that could impinge on rights to privacy in the long-term. How are Britons dealing with this new level of surveillance and what does this shift in behaviour mean for the future?