Generation Z and younger millennials are taking centre stage across the political arena: Gen Z going on climate strikes, blocking elections online, and using TikTok as a platform for mobilisation.
Their actions are not teenage outburts, instead Gen Z are opting for new forms of influence that shape social processes. In matters of politics and social justice, Gen Z are already becoming a social disruptor for the better.
Climate Strikes: From the Streets to Global Discourse
Since 2018, the Fridays for Future movement, inspired by Greta Thunberg, has engaged millions of schoolchildren around the world. The first march on 15 March, 2019, attracted more than a million participants in 125 countries.
Research shows that students from Australia, the UK, and the U.S. see climate activism as a way not only to attract attention, but also to exert real political pressure: activists go to work in government agencies and participate in the preparation of laws and public campaigns.
Youth Voting and Digital Blocks
In the West, young people are becoming increasingly influential in elections.
U.S. politics show that Gen Z and millennial turnout rates were decisive for winning the 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections.
However, researchers from UC Berkeley note that many young people feel “fatalistic” due to the weak response of the political system to their requests.
At the same time, the number of online blockades is growing via organised campaigns, closed registration, and blocked resources in turn transforming the digital age into a new field of protest struggle.
TikTok as a Political Arena
TikTok has transformed from a dance platform into a political platform.
Research shows that 62% of Gen Z users use TikTok for political news whilst 57% say the platform helps them stay informed.
The Gen-Z for Change group unites more than 500 content creators and has over 540 million followers, promoting causes from pro-life to student debt cancellation.
Such “digital activism” influences both public opinion as well as the decisions of politicians, many of whom find themselves forced to respond to viral campaigns on social media.
Blocking the Electoral System and Real Action
A typical example is the K-Pop Worriers movement, which used TikTok and Twitter to coordinate mass registration at rallies against Donald Trump, literally blocking the audience in his favour.
This example shows that digital tools allow young people to influence participation in election campaigns and even break traditional utilitarian models.
Internal Divisions within Gen Z
However, there are also internal divisions within the generation itself.
Researcher Rachel Janfaza identifies two subgroups: GenZ1.0, who formed before the pandemic and are activists, and GenZ2.0, who are more cynical and distrustful after the lockdowns.
Despite their differences, both groups are united by a sense of “survival activism”; they participate in protests and digital campaigns until they see tangible changes… at which point their energy drains.
Electronic Voices: Memes, Videos, Local Politics
Internet strategists like Annie Wu Henry call memes the “language of Gen Z,” shaping conversations on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. It’s through organic and creative delivery that Gen Z has seen a surge in voter registration ahead of the 2024 election.
Organisations like Voters of Tomorrow, which run online and offline campaigns on college campuses, have been able to attract hundreds of thousands of voters and even get politicians to pay attention.
When Gen Z Comes to Power?
When these activists achieve real power, the world will see:
- Climate and Social Justice.
Gen Z perceives climate as a pressing issue: 45% of the demographic check the position of candidates on climate before voting.
- Digital Campaign Techniques: TikTok and Instagram Live formats will become a tool for political dialogue via live broadcasts, meetups, and “poll in stories”.
- Localised Focus: instead of epochal campaigns, voting will be lead by municipal and regional projects, the transformation of cities from within: local initiatives.
Obstacles Remain:
Despite the enthusiasm, obstacles to this Gen Z agenda remain:
- Cynicism and Burnout.
According to research by Sunrise and March for Our Lives, many young participants burn out without support and funding.
- Structural Restraints: Anti-protest laws, rising housing prices, and ineffective bureaucracy contribute to disillusionment.
- Digital Divide: Not everyone is keeping up with the changes: there are Generation Z, living in an online activism ghetto, without influencing the media or political campaigns.
Gen Z is indeed disrupting the system but not so much through direct protests as through the strategic use of technology.
Its strength lies in the combination of climate and social initiatives, digital influence, and new forms of public voice. When Gen Z takes up public office and enters parliamentary debates, we will face a digital political reality: where the meme becomes a campaign, and TikTok becomes a parliamentary tribune.
In the meantime, the task of the elders is not to block the new ones, but to learn from them: otherwise, the Gen Z experience is a fast-burning, bitter-orange torch that will never light the way.
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