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Gen Z Rising: How Youth Anger Is Reshaping Politics Worldwide
It was a lavish wedding that shattered Aditya’s faith. As grand celebrations for a politician’s daughter unfolded in extravagant splendour, ordinary citizens remained stranded for hours in suffocating traffic on the scorching, dust-filled roads of Bhaktapur. Long before this event, public anger had been simmering over the ostentatious displays of wealth by the nation’s elite. Images of luxury cars and glittering diamonds flooding social media stood in cruel contrast to the daily struggles of common citizens, turning poverty into a spectacle.
What began as quiet resentment gradually hardened into rebellion. A tidal wave of demonstrators swept through the capital, dismantling symbols of state authority. At Kathmandu’s Singha Durbar, a striking mural—its paint appearing to drip like molten lava—captured the collective mood of the nation: “You fought the wrong generation — Gen Z.”
This surge of youth anger was not confined to Nepal. In Dhaka, administrative paralysis and the prime minister’s abrupt flight created a power vacuum that protesters swiftly filled. Similar patterns—resembling a modern-day Shiva Tandava—emerged across Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Serbia. From the Arab Spring to Hong Kong, from Thailand to Madagascar, youth-led uprisings have reshaped political landscapes worldwide. The Gen Z movement has contributed to reforms in several nations and even the toppling of governments in places such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Madagascar.
In 2018, a solitary climate protest by teenage activist Greta Thunberg outside Sweden’s parliament evolved into a global movement, proving that a single determined voice can ignite worldwide transformation.
The Psychology of a Restless Generation
In the digital age, Gen Z mobilises through social media, challenging entrenched power structures directly and fearlessly. This generation is often led by individuals who feel marginalised, unheard, or exploited. Psychologists interpret such behaviour as a natural response to prolonged social and economic stress.
Frustration–anger theory explains how sustained pressure can transform into collective rage. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl described how material insecurity and lack of meaning can generate “existential despair.” Neuroscientists suggest that constant digital connectivity reduces stress tolerance, amplifying emotional intensity.
Together, these forces help explain why Gen Z appears rebellious, impatient, and fearless—yet also deeply driven by ideals.
The Policy Imperative
To channel this energy constructively, governments must adopt equitable and forward-looking policies. Education must align with employment markets. Vocational training should be strengthened. Startups must be nurtured. Rural infrastructure requires investment. Employment opportunities must remain free from discrimination. Equal socio-economic access and robust mental health services are essential.
In India, youth discontent simmers like a dormant volcano—quiet yet potent. A minor eruption surfaced in Ladakh in September, when social activist Sonam Wangchuk described the rising unrest as “Gen Z madness,” revealing long-suppressed frustration. Time is running out to address these concerns meaningfully.
Suppressing Gen Z in the name of nationalism would be dangerously short-sighted. More than 800 million young people—who prioritise lived experience over rhetoric—possess the capacity to unleash immense disruption if denied constructive pathways. When development stalls, destruction often follows.
Chaos and Creation
On the legitimacy of rebellion against established systems, Friedrich Nietzsche observed, “A little chaos is necessary for the birth of a shining star.” Throughout history, youth have been the catalysts of change, the harbingers of societal evolution.
The turbulence surrounding Gen Z is not an embrace of violence; it is a demand for dignity, identity, and recognition. It represents not merely resistance but aspiration—a quest for justice, humanity, and fraternity in a global order that often seems indifferent to these values.
Alfred Lord Tennyson captured this spirit in Ulysses, urging humanity “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” In that same spirit, the dream of Gen Z—to build a society grounded in justice, unity, and equality—remains not only possible but inevitable.
Author Information
Original Writer: Gouro Chandra Tripathy
Translation: The Eastern Times Editorial Team
