When author Kyle Chayka explored 2010s minimalism in Longing for Less, a very different world existed. Today, a polycrisis-ridden and digitally saturated society finds people yearning for more. Whether you chalk it up to post-pandemic release or a general sense of impending doom, people are now looking for a...

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever.

Digital developments are transforming the ways people showcase their status online, with gaming worlds and the metaverse providing new platforms through which to distinguish themselves from their peers. But what kinds of status symbols resonate in the new virtual economy?

After sensory deprivation throughout the pandemic lockdowns, people’s starving senses are longing to feel closeness, connection, and be soothed. Finding new meaning in sensory beauty, people are turning to invigorating natural aromas and edible beauty snacks to transport them to happier times and boost their mental wellbeing.

With human touch in short supply during lockdown, we explore the ways people are seeking to replace these tactile experiences. What is the effect of ASMR on people’s sensory cravings, and what impact is the skincare market having on filling this hunger for connection and self-care?

The dawn of Web 3.0 is bringing technologies into the mainstream that many will find unfamiliar, but while metaverses have their pros and cons, they are the future. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Robby Ratan about their power and what we’re really getting into when we pop on a headset.