The Gen-Z Protest Myth: Why Media Must Stop Irresponsible Labelling
From Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, from Nepal to Leh-Ladakh, protests have erupted across South Asia. The reasons behind these protests have varied, yet the media has trapped itself in a dangerous shorthand: branding these as “Gen-Z protests.” This reductive label is not just inaccurate—it is a reckless catalyst for social division and unrest.
“Gen-Z” refers to a specific demographic group roughly now aged from 18 to 28. However, the Nepal protests widely reported as “Gen-Z led” show a more nuanced reality. The prominent youth organiser Sudan Gurung, founder of Hami Nepal, is actually 36 years old—outside the strict Gen-Z age range. Crucially, the protest participants spanned multiple age groups, including many middle-aged and older individuals and also the criminals. Likewise, in Leh-Ladakh, the protests have been led and heavily supported by older, established community members and politicians rather than exclusively youth.
Why does this matter? Because this age-specific labelling irresponsibly simplifies social movements and, more dangerously, acts like a siren call for young people who are more easily swayed by emotions, hormones, and political provocations. When protests are falsely branded as youth-only uprisings, it deliberately invites impulsive participation that can rapidly spiral into violence. This is textbook political manipulation, a tactical trap that bystanders and media alike too often fall into unknowingly.
Journalists and editors have a duty to resist lazy framing. Protests must be reported for what they are: complex, multi-generational movements with broad social and political grievances. Call them farmers’ protests, people’s movements, or mass demonstrations—never reduce them to misleading age brackets.
Words have power. Reckless labels deepen social divides, endanger young lives, and serve hidden agendas of destabilization. The media’s complicity in this narrative is unacceptable and must end. It is time to stop the “Gen-Z protest” myth and embrace responsible, accurate journalism that reflects reality in all its complexity.
