Written by: Mona
Nepal Protests
Technology is the language of Gen Z, yet on Thursday, September 4, 2025, Nepal’s government moved to ban 26 media platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and WeChat. A few days later, on September 8, protestors took to the streets in response to these bans. The protestors proudly and symbolically wore their school uniforms and labeled themselves as “Gen-Z”. By the end of Monday, the protests had turned violent after security forces opened fire on protestors. The violence left 19 dead and many others injured. On Tuesday, September 29, protests continued, but more violently…The protestors burned down thousands of buildings across Nepal, including government officials’ houses, government buildings, and large commercial and media businesses. The fires led to over 50 casualties. The Nepalese government removed the ban on social media, and the prime minister resigned.
The original “Gen-Z” protestors have since distanced themselves from the arsonists behind these attacks. Nonetheless, the “Gen-Z” protestors met with military leaders and requested that former Chief Justice, Shushila Karki, serve as the interim prime minister. Karki was the first female chief justice in Nepal and is renowned for her efforts to combat corruption in the Nepalese government during her career. In March of 2026, elections will be held to elect a new prime minister. This is the fourth time that Nepal’s government has been overthrown since 1951.
More Than a Social Media Ban
While the protests were partly in response to social media’s ban on free speech, they unearthed some deeper issues and resentments that had been stewing for a while. In the few weeks before the ban and protests, social media had been exploding with a #NepoBaby trend, which directly called out the lives of Nepal’s elite. There were questions about the accuracy of some of the circulating videos, but the reality is that youth in Nepal struggle to make a living.
For youth ages 15 to 24, the unemployment rate is 20.8 percent, ranking Nepal at 54 out of 189 countries. Almost 2,000 young Nepalis leave the country every day to work abroad. Remittances make up a third of Nepal’s economy. It is not just that the youth are facing an unemployment crisis, but that the disparity between the everyday Nepali teen and the elite Nepali youth is widening. The Corruption Perception Index is a globally recognized tool that uses a scale from 0 to 100, with a lower score indicating greater corruption. Nepal has scored a 34 out of 100 on the Corruption Perception Index, which is 9 points below the global average.
Understanding Gen Z
Notably, this recent protest is not a new trend in South Asia. Sri Lanka saw widespread youth protests in 2022, as did Bangladesh in 2024. The Asia deputy director for Human Rights Watch, Meenakshi Ganguly, noted that what these three countries have in common is underregulated socioeconomic inequality and corruption exacerbated by the political elite, who are completely removed from the experiences of the average young person. Also worth noting is that all three countries have average population ages below 28, national GDPs under the global average, and literacy rates over 70 percent. Together, these conditions create a unique context for the youth of countries to step up and advocate for change.
To understand the nature of these protests, one must also consider the specific context of these younger generations. First, they are dealing with the impacts of two different recessions in their lifetimes: the 2008-2009 recession and the recession that occurred around the pandemic. Second, with the pandemic, Gen-Z especially felt the brunt of isolation and the growing prominence of technology and social media. All this has led to the reality that technology has become the language of Gen-Z.
The Role of Social Media
Part of the social media ban that Nepal had attempted to enact was aimed at addressing fake news. With the growing use and popularity of social media, the risk of misinformation has increased significantly. In fact, it has been confirmed that some of the videos about social inequality and nepotism that had been circulating were created with AI platforms. Shortly after the social media ban took effect, a group named “Gen Z Rebels” used AI to create around 50 videos about social inequality and started circulating them. They mainly used TikTok because it was one of the apps that had not been banned. These videos, along with others, clearly had big consequences offline. Now, many buildings need to be rebuilt, and many burn and injury victims are awaiting treatment in the hospitals. Another platform, Discord, played a more positive, crucial role in the Nepal protests. In the course of the protests, over 10,000 youth came together on Discord to discuss and vote for potential candidates. Shushila Karki was selected as the proposed interim prime minister through this app.
Although technology has been used as a catalyst and means of protest before, it has never played such a central role. Nothing indicates that this trend will slow down anytime soon. Thus, it is crucial for those who are using technology and social media to do so responsibly.
Next Steps for Young Advocates
Social media is a powerful tool for social change. It unifies people across different regions and countries and evokes emotion unlike any other form of information. It can spread a movement across an entire nation and unite a whole generation. On the other hand, it can also spread misinformation and cause serious, widespread damage. Youth who engage with technology and social media need to be mindful of what they consume and the effects of their actions online.
For youth considering what role they can play in digital advocacy, they have to determine what further actions will be required. Historically, digital-driven protests have rarely led to long-term change. This is partly because social media is not designed for long-term change, and corruption is often so deeply seated that it will take much more to uproot it. Anyone who participates in digital advocacy must understand that this is just the first step in creating change. Nepali youth are now taking the next step of rebuilding their government with their newly found voices. All eyes are on them as they forge ahead into what could be a new future, not just for them, but for youth in many other countries around the world.
Now more than ever, young people should stand up and advocate for changes in their government. Social media is a tool gifted to this generation that can spur impact unlike any other generation, but this power needs to be wielded responsibly. Furthermore, social media cannot be the sole means of activism and change. It may get the ball rolling, but as Nepal’s current status reveals, real change requires ongoing effort beyond the screen.
References
Central Intelligence Agency. (2025). Nepal – The World Factbook. CIA. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nepal/
PBS NewsHour Classroom. (2025, September 18). Gen Z protests topple Nepal’s government. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/09/gen-z-protests-topple-nepals-government
Regalado, F. & Chutel, L. (2025, September 10). Who is Sushila Karki, the New Leader of Nepal?. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/world/asia/nepal-gen-z-protests.html
Sharma, B. & Travelli, A. (2025, September 9). The Forces Behind Nepal’s Explosive Gen-Z Protests. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/world/asia/nepal-protests-gen-z-social-media.html
Sharma, Y. (2025, September 16). Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal: Is South Asia fertile for Gen Z revolutions? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/9/16/sri-lanka-bangladesh-nepal-is-south-asia-fertile-for-gen-z-revolutions
Transparency International. (2024). Nepal – Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2024/index/npl
Wong, T. (2025, September 11). Nepal protests: Social media ban and corruption trigger Gen Z uprising. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4ljv39em7o