Nepal’s protests highlight global trend of youth-led movements
Protests in Nepal have escalated since the government imposed a social media ban earlier this month, leaving more than 50 people dead and prompting the prime minister’s resignation. Demonstrators set fire to government buildings, defied curfews, and forced their way into parliament in one of the most serious political crises the country has faced in recent years, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
International media were quick to label Nepal’s demonstrations as unique. Indeed, Gen Z, broadly defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, is shaping a new style of political activism. From adopting anime symbols as a sign of protest to holding elections on platforms like Discord, young protesters mark a clear break from conventional forms of dissent. Unlike earlier movements, they also abstain from choosing a single figure to serve as the face of the movement, preferring a decentralized approach to leadership.
Partly, this generation’s political style has been shaped by a culture of constant online interaction. Having grown up in the age of social media, this generation relies on digital platforms not only to access information but also to exchange ideas and mobilize around shared causes. Still, while technology and digital media provide new tools for organizing, the demographic composition of protest movements may in some respects resemble older patterns.
More specifically, news outlets have underscored that the protests in Nepal were primarily youth-led. Yet while young people were the ones to take to the streets and challenge state authority, this alone does not make the movement unprecedented. History shows that younger generations have often been at the forefront of major uprisings. The Arab Spring likewise saw young people initiating mass mobilizations in pursuit of political change. More recently, comparable youth-led protests took place in countries such as Kenya, Indonesia, and Bangladesh over the past year.
The central role of Gen Z may be explained by their sharper exposure to existing economic and political constraints and higher willingness to take risks. Although the events in Nepal highlighted the growing visibility of Gen Z in shaping political discourse, if the protests represent the beginning of a new wave of political participation remains to be seen.
Earlier, it was reported that almost two-thirds of Gen Z in the UK have experienced mental health problems, a survey finds.