Until a few days back, 'Gen Z' was a term widely used in LinkedIn posts to take swipes at young men and women who, a section of Millennials claimed, were too self-centred and carefree to be good employees. Now, protesters calling themselves 'Gen Z' have brought a country to the brink of chaos, calling out corruption, using the language of TikTok. This is the first "Gen Z" protest anywhere in the world, and it seems to be on track to force the government out.
Who Are Gen Z
The term Generation Z emerged in reference to the generation after Gen Y, also called Millennials. Loosely, people born between 1997 and 2012 qualify as Gen Z. Gen Z is succeeded by Generation Alpha, or those born in or after 2010.
A key defining factor of Gen Z is that its members have grown up in a digital era, earning them the name 'digital natives'. With smartphones and other digital devices a part of their life in formative years, Gen Z has been exposed to an information overload, which has also made it a more stressed and conscious generation than the ones preceding it. This also means that most members of this generation have a low attention span, and social media is deeply embedded in their lives. This is also significant considering the protests in Nepal were triggered by a social media ban before it snowballed into an anti-corruption movement.
Many of those in Gen Z were exposed to the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in their late teens and early 20s, and that too has contributed to shaping their worldview.
With a big chunk of Gen Z spending considerable time on social media, the polarised nature of the Internet has impacted their thought processes. For some, this has resulted in indifference to public issues. And for others, this has led to taking rigid positions.
How Are Gen Z Perceived
Gen Z-ers are often described as opinionated and self-focused. With more exposure to information through social media in their formative years, they are less uncertain of their opinions. For this reason, they are sometimes viewed as arrogant and argumentative.
In LinkedIn posts, often penned by Millennials, Gen Z workers are portrayed as "difficult" and "confrontational". Many Millennials compare their flexibility to the "rigid" positions their Gen Z juniors take. However, their ability to take a stand faster than the generations preceding them makes them actively join social protests such as the one playing out in Nepal.
Growing up in a time of global uncertainty, Gen Z faces challenges in finding jobs, and this has led to an erosion of trust in public institutions. A key feature of protests led by Gen Z shows the reluctance to include political parties in their resistance, underlining their mistrust of such organisations.
Multiple studies have found that Gen Z is more "behaved" than their predecessors, primarily because of more awareness about issues such as drug abuse and growing up in an era of digital surveillance. But more screentime, easily available information and greater social awareness also make them more stressed, lonelier and more vulnerable to mental health struggles.
Gen Z Protest In Nepal
The protests in Nepal were triggered by the government's decision to ban social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube after they did not move to register themselves with the government. The KP Sharma Oli government said these websites were being used to push fake news and misinformation campaigns.
For youngsters hooked to these platforms, this was a trigger to hit the streets. As the protests snowballed into a nationwide anti-corruption movement, many also claimed that the real reason behind the social media crackdown was a spotlight on politicians using their privilege to promote their children. The hashtag 'Nepokids' started trending as protesters highlighted the gap between politicians' lavish lives and the daily struggles of the common man.
The killing of 19 protesters in the government's crackdown only added fuel to the agitation.
The organisers of the protests call themselves Gen Z, and many protesters were seen hitting the streets in school uniforms. The protests' leaders have ruled out any talks with the government leadership and stressed that they want them gone.
An Image Makeover
Often at the receiving end of jibes such as "headstrong" and "confrontational", the Gen Z in Nepal has turned both those traits into a relentless campaign that is showing no signs of stopping even after 19 deaths.
Their refusal to let political parties join the agitation shows their mistrust and apprehension that their cause might be hijacked. Their reluctance to strike any deal with the government shows they would not stop until the current government is out.
The nationwide protests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in recent times, which saw a large number of Gen Z activists joining in, have shown how persistence pays off. These protests have led to regime changes, and Nepal may be hurtling towards that end.
