One thing I find absolutely remarkable about Generation Z’s political habits is that we talk so much, but act so little.
Spend any amount of time in the comment sections of various social media sites, and you will find teens and young adults having grand political debates that would’ve made the ancient Greeks jealous.
And yet, we still lag behind on political engagement. Only 48% of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds registered to vote in 2020 despite youth registration rates increasing. By contrast, about 73% of the overall eligible population registered to vote in the same election cycle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Given this generational disconnect with the political process, it may come as a shock that in a movement largely led by members of Gen Z, protesters in Nepal managed to completely overthrow their nation’s government and elect a new prime minister.
This contrast leaves us to wonder why members of Gen Z in Nepal were able to enact such tangible political change, when American young adults dwell on the outskirts of the political sphere.
University of Minnesota political science professor Paul Goren said most generations had lower rates of political participation and engagement in their youth, simply due to the fact that they are more concerned with transitioning into adulthood during that time. This applies to young people around the world.
“They’re going to school, they’re moving around, some are joining the military, some are joining the workforce,” Goren said. “Politics is a lower priority for young people who are trying to figure out what their future is going to be.”
While it may be understandable that life keeps younger people from devoting too much time to politics, the lack of even basic engagement in the U.S. is still shocking. Especially since many members of Gen Z don’t appear to hide their strong political opinions online.
University Undergraduate Political Science Association co-communications director Emma DeJonge said she initially thought Gen Z would be more politically engaged due to the strength of their political beliefs. Yet, she noted some of our ideas on how to engage with politics were so fantastical that they did not gain much traction.
“We can engage,” DeJonge said. “We have the ideas of ‘Yes, we can all come together, we’re opposing this,’ but I don’t think the ideas of how we should act on it are very good.”
Despite this uncertainty around methods of change, Nepali youth were still able to unify around a common cause enough to overthrow their government and position themselves as a political force to be reckoned with.
This revolution is distinct from many other, less bombastic youth social movements in that it wasn’t just an online trend or a fight over policies. It was a fire stoked by government corruption and the killing of over a dozen protesters.
According to Goren, when social, economic or political issues affect younger voters in more direct ways, young people tend to get more involved with politics and society, as seen in the United States with the anti-draft protests during the 1970s.
“When politics really impinges on young people’s lives in very real and direct ways, they may get more involved in politics in the short term,” Goren said. “It could be through voting, or sometimes it’s through protest movements. Today, there’s a lot more involvement on social media.”
Even though there is no guarantee the new government in Nepal will last the course, it is still remarkable to see such a substantial political shift achieved by a generation often looked down upon for apathy and unseriousness.
DeJonge said the societal upheaval in Nepal served as a reminder that, despite our unique methods, Gen Z can actually accomplish political change.
“Yes, it was organized in a Discord channel, and that’s obviously not great,” DeJonge said. “But they got something done, and we keep talking about getting things done and then not actually getting things done.”
Nepal’s recent political upheaval not only shows us that Gen Z can make visible changes to the societies we live in, but that we can be effective in doing so.
Even though the election for the new prime minister was held through a Discord poll, it put the well-respected civil servant and former Chief Justice Sushila Karki at the head of the nation’s government. Gen Z’s unorthodox methods led to a qualified candidate becoming the nation’s first-ever female prime minister and elections scheduled for March 2026.
Goren said while he doesn’t necessarily think there will be a spike in Gen Z political engagement anytime soon, it is always a possibility if specific issues affect younger generations more than anyone else.
“Most generations at the youngest age don’t get that involved, but something could happen,” Goren said. “There does seem to be significant pressure points in our politics today, and maybe that could provoke more youth participation at some point in the not too distant future.”
Even though it means we may be less active in politics, we are fortunate to not be in a similar political situation as Nepal, as corruption and the brutal repression of protesters was what sent Gen Z’s growing political movement over the edge. In the U.S., we still have the luxury of civil political discourse.
Still, we have lost much of our political voice, and that is something that we must address. We all have issues that we care about deeply and changes that we want to see made, yet solid action is nowhere to be seen.
We are many, we are strong, and we are opinionated, and as our compatriots in Nepal showed us, we can be an effective force for change.
So go out and vote, or protest or petition your lawmakers. Advocate for your own views, because no one else will do it for you.
We all must use our voices before we lose them.
