Anna is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. Her background in journalism spurred her interest in the intersection of power, identity, and media. She has a master’s in Gender, Media and Culture from The London School of Economics, where she researched media representation and diversity. Outside of work she can be found gardening, taking too many photos, or endlessly trying to crochet the same scarf.

People are taking a patchwork approach to self-expression to feel like they have control over how their identity is generated. Yet as individual expression becomes more mutable and mistrust in social systems abounds, there’s one place above all that people are seeking integrity and guidance: brands.

Reality Split

Gen Alpha (born 2011-present)

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

United States

Social networking

Community and grassroots

Mental health

Rising awareness among consumers and brands about the negative impacts of social media use is altering the way that influencers post and engage with their audiences across digital channels. This comes as lawmakers work to enact regulations that aim to protect younger users online.