The Mercator projection (the map you most probably think of when you picture a map of the world) became ubiquitous largely due to it's navigation utility and simplicity, which was important before the rise of modern technology. But the projection has downsides too: it enlarges areas far from the equator, and emphasises Europe and North America, contributing to a Eurocentric worldview and leading to misconceptions about the importance or size of other regions (for example Africa is much larger than it seems in the Mercator projection). Of course this was all favourable when Europe rose to cultural prominence. In our current technological era we don't have the same needs for simple navigation that contributed to the ubiquity of the Mercator projection. The distortion it represents can affect how people think about global issues, resources, and geopolitical relationships, and that influence should be taken seriously. It's time for some diversity and to bring some new projections into the mainstream!