A New Era of “Gen Z” Activism: The Use of Social Media in Reshaping Local Politics

Key Takeaways

• Recent anti-government protests, often labelled as “Gen Z” movements, have been driven by deep-seated discontent with poor governance, corruption, economic inequality and high unemployment rates, which affect young populations.

• Over the years, social media has changed the face of activism as various platforms have evolved into crucial elements in mass mobilisation and content dissemination.

• Due to the nature of these protests, governments face challenges in suppressing and targeting key figureheads, as these movements mostly lack central leadership.

• For businesses and investors, the rapid and unpredictable nature of these protests creates an unstable environment by disrupting transport, supply chains, operations and business continuity.

Recent “Gen Z” Uprising in Madagascar

Madagascar has become the latest scene for mass “Gen Z” protests as the population in the small island nation faces severe water and electricity shortages. The power crisis often leaves homes and businesses without electricity for more than 12 hours a day. Protest erupted in Antananarivo on 24 September 2025 and spread to other cities, including Antsirabe, Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toliara. The mass protests prompted the deployment of security forces in response to looting incidents, and a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in these areas to quell the violence. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that since the protests began, at least 22 people have been killed and more than a hundred were injured, although the Malagasy government rejected the figures. In an attempt to appease the protesters, President Andrey Rojoelina dissolved the government and pledged to create space for dialogue with young people. Despite this, the protests continued as the protesters demanded that Rojoelina step down, as they blamed his government for failing to improve conditions.

Corruption and Economic Distress as Key Protest Triggers

Madagascar’s case is not a unique or rare incident but adds to a growing wave of young people in parts of the world, typically labelled “Gen Z”, taking to the streets to demand accountability from their governments. Around the same time, protests were taking place in Morocco as hundreds of young Moroccans took to the streets in major cities such as Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakesh, denouncing corruption and criticising the government for pouring money into international sporting events such as the 20230 FIFA World Cup, while neglecting the health and education sectors. The protests were met with a heavy-handed response from government security forces, with over 400 arrests and hundreds of injuries. In Nepal, young people led anti-government protests, which saw the toppling of the government within days. One of the main triggers of the unrest was the blocking of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and X. This was compounded by reports of corruption among the country’s political elite and the online movement against “NepoKids”, which fuelled mass discontent. Similarly, in June 2024, thousands of young Kenyans protested nationwide against police brutality and the Finance Bill, which would have increased taxes, raising the cost of living for the average Kenyan. After demonstrators stormed the Parliament Building in Nairobi, President William Ruto withdrew the bill the next day.

Role of Social Media in Digital Mobilisation

This new trend of activism reveals a key element: the use of social media in mobilising, organising and disseminating information. For example, platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and the gaming application Discord have allowed protesters to pick out target locations or routes and share protest tactics, while platforms such as TikTok and X have been typically instrumental in the sharing of content with the use of viral hashtags. In Morocco, a loosely structured, anonymous youth organisation called "GenZ 212" set up the protests online using sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Discord.  Most of such movements have no central leadership, making it difficult for authorities to “cut off the heads” of such mass movements. Days after the deadly Nepal protests and the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, young people once again turned to Discord, moderated by the NGO Hami Nepal, to debate and nominate 73-year-old Sushila Karki, a former chief justice, as the country’s interim leader. The channel called ‘Youth Against Corruption’ amassed over 160,000 members.

Heightened Risks for Business and Investment

The rapid nature of these protests, mainly driven by corruption, high unemployment rates and poverty rates, particularly among youthful populations, presents an extra layer of unpredictability for businesses operating in the affected regions. Youth-led mobilisations are expected to remain a key feature in the political sphere of many countries across the globe. Hence, protests can quickly erupt, disrupting transport, communications and supply chains. Protests met with heavy-handedness by government security forces increase the risk of violence, casualties and destruction to property. Businesses and investors should closely monitor developments, as long-term instability could disrupt operations.

For further information on how this development could impact your business, please contact Global Situational Awareness at gsoc@global-sa.co.uk. Our new cloud-based dashboard delivers actionable intelligence for protests, activism, crime and terrorism. Our dashboards provide accurate real-time situational awareness of security threats, ranking hostile actors and groups, tracking incident likelihood, and visualising how threat levels evolve over time.