Gen Z is coming, be aware!

How Gen Z is shaping world politics through protests and social media.

In an era marked by institutional distrust, it is not anyone else but a generation, widely criticised for having lived in ‘easier times’ and not having endured real hardship, that ended up leading the charge for change in many countries faced with prolonged institutional failure. Something that the generations before them failed to achieve. The echoes of the protests, led by Generation Z, will forever resonate throughout the world, as some of the largest and most impactful of all time.

A new way to look at politics

What makes Gen Z unique in comparison from prior generations is their upbringing within a digitally connected world. Hence why we see their political orientation and protest behavior greatly influenced by the ability to gather influence and to lead the charge, starting from social media. As we have seen in the past year, this points towards a generational shift in how societies mobilise for reform. There are two defining characteristics that make Gen Z different from their predecessors: knowing how to gain traction through the digital world and the heightened economic and social frustration they grew up in. Although some may argue that the latter is not necessarily unique to Gen Z it is without a doubt that the years in which they have grown up have been uniquely shaped by inflation, disinformation, a pandemic, increasing global political tension, wars and corruption, the combination of which has served as an important driver for their persistence.

Gen Zers are the first generation to grow up entirely within the era of smartphones, high-speed internet, and social media platforms. This digital fluency has transformed how they consume information, form identities, and engage politically. They navigate complex geopolitical and social issues through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, rather than the traditional media which was used in shaping the political identities of the generations before them. Digital communication has reduced the barriers and costs to mobilising large groups of people that existed before, enabling rapid amplification of grievances, coordination of actions, and most importantly global awareness of localised struggles.

Global Patterns of Gen Z Protest Movements

The breadth of Gen Z-led protests across the globe over the past two years illustrates how this generation’s activism is reshaping political life.

In Asia, protests led or heavily populated by young people have surged.

In Nepal, widespread demonstrations erupted in 2025 after authorities attempted to ban social media platforms, a move perceived as censorship and a threat to young people’s connectivity and civic voice. The origins of the uprising can be traced to months of mounting frustration among Nepal’s predominantly young population. The anger increasingly focused on entrenched political corruption and elite privilege, crystallising in a viral social media campaign under the hashtag #NepoBaby. The campaign exposed the conspicuously lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children and other well-connected figures, a stark contrast to the lived reality of most citizens, whose average annual income is approximately 1300 £.

 As the hashtag gained traction, it became a focal point for broader grievances related to inequality, nepotism, and economic stagnation, inspiring public resentment well beyond online spaces. The response of the government was to ban most social media platforms. This move was a grave mistake, it quickly became widely perceived in Gen Zers as an attempt to silence dissent and shield political elites from scrutiny, and it served as the immediate catalyst for mass mobilisation. These protests, coordinated in part on platforms such as Discord, contributed to the resignation of the prime minister, demonstrating the capacity of digitally mediated protest to disrupt entrenched power structures. 

In Africa, a movement called Gen Z 212, in Morrocco protested social service inequality and government priorities, demanding improved healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. The scale of these protests was among the largest seen in years and thus serves as a great example of how angry Gen Zer’s can quickly turn widespread frustrations into public action.

In Europe there have been two recent examples of Gen Z’s protests leading to huge political responses in their relative states

The protests that spread across Serbia over the summer in 2024, emerged from long-standing political frustration, particularly among younger citizens who view state institutions as increasingly unaccountable in the country. While upset related to media control, corruption and democratic backsliding had accumulated over time, unrest intensified following renewed government efforts to advance a controversial lithium mining project associated with Rio Tinto, which many protesters saw as emblematic of elite collusion and environmental disregard.

Large demonstrations and coordinated road and rail blockades took place in Belgrade and other cities throughout June and July, driven largely by students and young professionals who mobilised through social media and through what was quite unique at the time encrypted messaging sites. The government’s response combined assurances of environmental oversight with police crackdowns and arrests, further inflaming tensions and reinforcing perceptions of repression. Although the protests were not successful in facilitating the resignation of the government, they succeeded in elevating the mining issue to the centre of national debate and highlighted a broader, generational challenge to Serbia’s political order rooted in demands for transparency, accountability, and democratic renewal.

One of the most recent and striking examples of Gen Z’s political impact took place in Bulgaria less than a week ago, where youth-led mobilisation culminated in one of the largest protests the country has seen in the past two decades. What began as opposition to a controversial government budget, widely criticised for risking serious economic damage, particularly as Bulgaria prepares to adopt the euro, quickly grew into a mass movement driven largely by young people. 

Although the demonstrations remained overwhelmingly peaceful, government officials attempted to portray them as destabilising, a narrative that failed to gain broad traction. As the protests expanded and sustained public pressure mounted, the authorities were forced to abandon the proposed budget, and the government ultimately resigned. The scale of the unrest and its rapid political consequences drew international media attention, placing Bulgaria on the front pages of major newspapers and reinforcing the growing evidence that Gen Z-led protest movements are increasingly capable of producing decisive political outcomes.

Another important aspect of growing up in a highly connected social media environment is that, unlike previous generations, Gen Z has an unprecedented ability to compare their country’s economic and political conditions with those of the rest of the world in real time. This dynamic is particularly visible in Eastern Europe, where chants and posters at large-scale protests frequently express a desire for national standards of education, economic opportunity, and healthcare to match those of Western Europe. While similar demands have surfaced in past protest movements, it is the sheer scale and frequency of these demonstrations that has amplified their impact and reinforced their message to political authorities.

Young people want a change, and they want it now, that much is clear.

Conclusion

Gen Z’s engagement in protest movements marks a substantive shift in how young people interact with politics and governance. Digital awareness, coupled with frustration toward entrenched economic and political structures, has enabled the generation to mobilise rapidly, bridge national boundaries, and influence political outcomes in diverse contexts. The ongoing impact of Gen Z protests suggests that future political landscapes will continue to be shaped by this generation’s demands for accountability, representation, and systemic reform.