Social media is defined as a form of electronic communication through which users create online communities, ideas, personal information and other content. With recent generations, especially Gen Z, this has been adapted to comprise social awareness and networking, embracing the digital world to create new marketing and job opportunities. But what happens when these digital interactions are restricted? The Nepal Uprising is a prime example of how a young generation responded to express the value of social media in their daily lives.
Here are the facts:
Nepal has a history of an unstable political climate.
The South Asian nation has been associated with a series of rebellions, starting most prevalently in the 1990s, to battle an absolute monarchy. Each of the movements aimed to contest the monarchical government and its figures. Authorities create a widening economic gap and often bring corruption to the nation. The citizens of Nepal are no strangers to protesting these conditions, including a Maoist Insurgency lasting from the 1990s up until 2006, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a Maoist Republic, as stated by Europe Solidaire Sans Frontiéres. While this revolution was initially successful and the republic was temporarily established, pro-monarchical ideology seeped into the nation, leading to the return of corruption and economic unrest.
Nepal executed a social media ban on over 26 social media platforms.
Mere days before the uprising began, Nepal announced a ban on more than 26 social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X and YouTube. This ban was established by way of mandating registrations on social media platforms so that content could be monitored. According to the BBC, while the intention of this ban was to censor hate speech and misleading information, the citizens of Nepal, especially younger generations, expressed concerns regarding this ban’s impact on freedom of expression and communication, among other economic and societal changes.
Recent protests have focused their outrage toward “Nepo Kids.”
With prevalent poverty in many parts of the country, many are enraged by those who benefit from corrupt systems through fortunate connections. Preceding the uprising, images of the Nepali elite underscored the struggles of the average citizen residing near or below the poverty line. The posts display destination vacations, luxurious handbags and clothing and expensive celebrations. With these posts tagged “#nepokid,” the noticeable gap between the classes became a driving factor for the growing movement.
A government-owned SUV struck an 11-year-old girl outside of her school in Lalitpur city.
On the morning of Sept. 6, after the social media bans took place, a black Jeep SUV carrying Kochi province minister Ram Bahadur Magar hit a young girl outside of her secondary school and sped away. The minister’s SUV fleeing the scene is an unmistakable symbol of the elite’s exclusive law exemption and ignorance towards ordinary citizens of Nepal. Many Nepali citizens viewed this “accident” as a further indicator of corruption and decided to take action, per The Economic Times. A 20-year-old sociology student, Mira Thapa, told The Economic Times, “They didn’t just brush off a child’s pain. They showed us we don’t matter. We were already angry about corruption, nepotism and no jobs. This was the spark.”
The response:
Within days, Nepali citizens took to the streets to show their anger at the government’s treatment of the people. The protests, beginning on Sept. 8, were led by Gen Z, a young generation highly motivated to fight back against the corruption, shortage of opportunities and controversial social media ban. These peaceful protests quickly turned violent when state forces fired live ammunition into the crowd, killing 19 protesters. This fueled the crowd’s rage, igniting a need for immediate change.
As mentioned by The New Yorker, while K. P. Sharma Oli, Nepal’s Prime Minister, stepped down on Sept. 9 due to the political unrest; the movement of the mob could not be halted. Masses of protesters set multiple government buildings on fire, including the nation’s Parliament. As chaos ensued, more police forces were deployed to impose a curfew; however, protesters were committed to making their voices heard by whatever means necessary.
On Sept. 12, Sushila Karki, a former Chief Justice, was sworn in as Interim Prime Minister. The curfew and social media ban were lifted, bringing an end to the protests. After the protests concluded, over 2,000 injuries and between 70 and 74 deaths were recorded.
What does social media have to do with this:
A lot, actually.
One of the main sparks of the conflict was the restrictions on social media use.
Young generations utilize technology for communication, economics, education and expression. A cascade of actions from the government of Nepal, including the social media ban, threatened the youth’s ability to access the opportunities provided by these portals. These youths redirected their mistrust of their government officials into shareable media that would spark the revolution.
The digital age makes it impossible to escape global news.
Even if you are scrolling on your For You Page on a random Thursday, a video may pop up of a protester doing a TikTok dance in front of a burning Parliament building. While it may seem wild and desensitizing, the mere exposure to current events is vital to awareness of political and cultural realities.
Nepal’s Interim Prime Minister was elected entirely through Discord.
With the destruction of all formal documents during the Parliament fire, Nepal arranged an agreement with Gen Z protestors to hold an election through the messaging app Discord, in which the former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was elected.
The Nepal Uprising is a buildup of restless frustration from younger generations. By harnessing the growing power of social media, young people can ignite lasting change and move closer to the world they envision.