When you hear the description “Gen Z,” you probably associate it with the stereotypical teenager: sedentary, soft, transfixed by technology and absolutely oblivious to the world that surrounds them.
What comes less quickly to mind are images of palace burnings, global protests and government elections conducted via Discord. Yet, in dozens of countries around the world, these are the things that Generation Z has become known for.
After the Nepalese government banned all major social media platforms—ostensibly because of the companies’ failure to register with the government—activist groups gathered massive followings on Discord, with servers like Youths Against Corruption garnering followings of over 150,000 members.
Most believe the sudden censorship was in response to the “Nepo Kid” videos that had accumulated millions of views across social media platforms. These videos exposed the lavish lifestyles of the ruling class and their children. This censorship, coupled with the disparity between the lives of those in power and the average Nepal citizen—who earns around 4,000-7,000 USD annually—had youth across the nation outraged.
On Saturday, September 6, online discontent erupted into the real world. Tens of thousands of angry Nepalese youth flooded the streets of the nation’s capital, Kathmandu. Factions of the mob quickly descended into violent chaos against the wishes of its organizers.
Over the next three days, the prime minister resigned, Nepal’s parliament building was burnt to the ground, 19 protesters were killed, and over 1,000 were injured. By Friday, September 12, just six days after the protests began, the Youths Against Corruption server elected the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Sushila Karki, as the interim prime minister.
Gen Z is engaged in protests across the globe. Youth in Serbia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Maldives, Paraguay and numerous other countries are protesting against various forms of alleged corruption even as you read this article.
So, why the sudden flux of protests? And why are they predominantly composed of Gen Z demonstrators?
“Young people have always been overrepresented in protest movements—particularly elite youth (college kids) … they have the time and the angst,” explains Sarah Isgur, a Harvard Law graduate and political commentator. As for the reason, she explains that “it's usually more of a symptom of economic anxiety/lack of opportunity for upcoming generations.”
Henry Overos ‘16, a research faculty member at the University of Maryland, says the reason for the sweeping protests is “complicated.”
“Part of it is pure demographics. A lot of countries where you're seeing protests also tend to have young populations. For example, in Nepal and Madagascar the majority of the population is below 30 years old.”
As for the effect social media has on the incitement of these protests, Overos questions whether its importance is “overblown.” He says, “there's possible ‘slacktivism’ where online engagement feels ‘good enough’ and so you build hype online but no one shows up in person.”
If these protests have shown the world anything, it’s that youth are ready and willing to fight against perceived injustice. Even in America, we see the fruits of this unrest. From the Black Lives Matter riots in 2020 to the No Kings protests just last month, American youth seem displeased. And, when discontent leads to protest, experts like Isgur think “there’s a lot to be worried about.”