2025: The year Gen Z took to the streets

An aerial view of smoke rising from Nepal’s Federal Parliament premises after it was set on fire by Gen Z protestors (PTI).

The long build-up

From Asia to Africa to Latin America, the unrest followed a familiar script. In each case, corruption, inequality, and unemployment had been eroding public trust long before protests erupted.

Revolutions never appear out of thin air, explains Dr Philip Varghese of Christ University, Bengaluru. “Even in Nepal, where the social media ban acted as an immediate trigger, the eruption of anger reflected deep-seated dissatisfaction that had been building for years.”

“Persistent unemployment, entrenched corruption, widening inequality, and the erosion of participatory decision-making created the conditions for these seemingly sudden uprisings,” he says.

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In Indonesia, demonstrations broke out across Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and Kalimantan over economic stagnation and proposals to increase housing subsidies for MPs. In the Philippines, tens of thousands of young people marched against corruption in flood-control projects. Madagascar has seen protests over power outages, water shortages, and corruption — conditions that prompted many young people to consider leaving the country altogether.

Kenya witnessed mass demonstrations in Nairobi after a blogger and a teacher died in custody, amid anger over rising living costs and police brutality. In Morocco, groups like GenZ 212 Moroccan Youth Voice criticised the crumbling public education and healthcare system. At the same time, the government spent heavily on mega sporting events, such as the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Similar unrest simmered in Turkey, Peru, and Mexico.

By 2025, the myth of Gen Z as politically disengaged lay in ruins.

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A generation that watches — and remembers

One reason this awakening gained such force lies in how Gen Z understands the world. A UNICEF-backed 2025 study revealed that young people consume more news than any other form of content. Far from being detached, they are hyper-aware.

“We were always told to wait for our turn,” Bam says. “And that turn never came. That’s when I realised — the system wasn’t broken. It was working exactly as it was designed to, just not for us.”

That disillusionment resonates well beyond Nepal. For Nupur Bharat Redkar, a 21-year-old PR professional, the rupture appeared closer to home — in the workplace. “It became exhausting just to get basic things done,” she says. “Work was expected to eclipse everything else. Watching Gen Z draw boundaries during the Nepal protests made me realise the power of constructive dissent. When a simple break feels like a luxury, you know the old ways no longer fit our reality.”

How social media rewrote the rules

While the drivers of protest — inequality, corruption, exclusion — remain familiar, the form of mobilisation has changed dramatically. Unlike earlier youth movements such as the Arab Spring or Spain’s Indignados, Gen Z uprisings in 2025 were born in a digital-first ecosystem.

Platforms like Discord, TikTok, and Instagram were not just tools for communication but spaces where politics was created.

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“Digital spaces completely redefined participation for us,” Bam explains. “On Discord, where we elected our interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, we weren’t just consuming politics — we were co-creating it. A meme could spread a political argument faster than a press conference.”

For Redkar, these spaces are democratic classrooms. “They make political narratives open, creative, and non-judgmental. That’s where you learn that even small voices can spark action.”

The paradox of decentralisation

The decentralised nature of these movements proved both empowering and problematic. With no single leader, protests became harder to suppress — and harder to sustain.

“Decentralisation prevents capture,” Bam says. “There’s no single head to crush. Everyone feels ownership, and that keeps the movement fearless.” But she also acknowledges the challenge ahead. “States are built to negotiate with a few leaders, not thousands of voices. The real task is transitioning from resistance to reform, without recreating old hierarchies.”

Dr Varghese warns that without institutional reform, these digital uprisings risk fading. “Unless political actors use this rare democratic shake-up wisely, these movements could easily slide back into older systems.”

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The quiet crisis beneath the noise

Underlying the political unrest is a quieter crisis. Economic uncertainty, limited job opportunities, and rising living costs have placed immense psychological strain on young people. According to UNICEF, six out of ten Gen Z individuals feel overwhelmed by current events, including climate change, geopolitical instability, and economic anxiety.

Dr Pavitra Shankar, Associate Consultant of Psychiatry at Aakash Healthcare, explains that constant exposure to crises keeps young people in a heightened stress state. “Over time, this leads to anxiety, burnout, and vulnerability to mood disorders, especially without strong support systems,” she says.

For Bam, the way forward is clear but non-negotiable. “We need proof, not promises,” she says. “Proof that dignity, merit, and accountability can exist within the same system.”

Until then, scepticism remains Gen Z’s default position — not out of apathy, but because they are watching closely, remembering everything, and refusing to look away.