Joyce Valenza is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at Rutgers University School of Information and Communication, a technology writer, speaker, blogger and learner. She uses her knowledge of media literacy and digital tools to help students read, analyze and evaluate news sources. She is a member of the Global Education Network (GEN) Leadership Council and serves as co-editor of GEN’s “The Big Ideas” blog series.
The biggest issues of our time are the ones that cannot be solved by a single country or individual alone. Currently, these include wars and conflicts that result in mass casualties and displaced people. Climate change is another global issue that affects every economy and individual in the world. It may cause water stress and reduce crop yields, especially in the most food-insecure areas.
Poverty is also a global issue that continues to worsen. The current number of individuals experiencing extreme poverty is roughly 2.33 billion. In 2022 and 2023, hunger in the Caribbean, western Asia, and most of Africa remained high. AI videos pushing racist, false tropes about SNAP recipients circulated online as families in those regions waited to receive their funds.