Global challenges and trends affecting all children and young people and their environmental experiences

At a global level, children growing up in the 21st century are all shaped and challenged by a range of global issues that impact the lived experiences of childhood and adolescence. The predominant global challenges that we know are making an impact include climate change, urbanization, displacement, poverty, technologization and loss of contact with nature. More recently, the risk and threat of pandemics has also joined this list. This chapter will explore the nature of these global influences and their impacts on childhood and adolescence as it is currently established in research literature and broader global conversations.