So divorce rates have skyrocketed in the past few decades, and not just in the US. By the turn of the 21st century, divorce rates in China reached nearly 25%, with 70% of those divorces initiated by women. Diversity has also driven families apart, as parents and children spend increasing time alone in front of their individual screens, sharing fewer experiences. That's individualism too, but not of a kind that we usually celebrate. But probably the biggest consequence of globalization and the ensuing rise in human population has been humanity's effect on the environment. While populations have increased partly thanks to better yields from existing farmland, much more land has also been brought under cultivation in the past half century. In the past, this meant cutting down trees and valuable rainforests.