A tumultuous wave has rocked the very ground on which the South Asian subcontinent is predicated. Ever teetering on the precipice of the next tragedy, the battleground has rendered the preceding good friendships all but dead and buried in the cenotaphs of mistrust and political instability. It is unequivocally unfathomable to imagine that there was ever a time when the tunes of "Hindi-Chini bhai bhai" were sung in our homes.
Amidst all the mercurialness, we hear the whispers of an emerging voice — our very own youth. Armed with the ammunition of social media and the Internet, they have waged their form of war, one fought with reels, memes, and tweets. These new Gen Z warriors are a force to be reckoned with, and thus, there is a rising need to understand how they grasp the intricacies of foreign policy, what drives them to seek digital outlets for political representation, what aggravates them, and how contemporary digital tools have become the new battleground for political discourse.
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| Illustration by Ajitesh Vishwanath |
Dissent: Changing Landscapes
Is age a deciding metric for one's maturity and intellectual depth? This question has been circulating in our society in surreptitious ways as we grapple with images of young people holding placards and shouting slogans, giving clarion calls for rising and fighting against the erosion of democracy and the upliftment of the underdog. They are looked at as being "misguided and often misinformed." However, from witnessing the potency of the anti-CAA protests in India (2019) or the Enough is Enough Campaign in Nepal (2020), it is evident that this scepticism has somehow invigorated young voices to an unprecedented level.
It is critical to understand the political and social terrain of South Asia that catalyses the need for youth activism. South Asia is a convoluted mix of post-colonial legacies grappling with the unmooring of indigenous cultures and traditions, democratic aspirations, and anxieties about unemployment and inequality. A hyperpolarisation on the grounds of religion has created an ecosystem of hostility which often drives large-scale migration, thereby changing and altering the demographic dividend of the states, causing a dearth of resources and employment. Moreover, the intergenerational divide in access to power, amplified by caste, gender, and class, colors the form and reception of youth-led political mobilizations in the region. These conditions shape the contours of South Asian youth activism, making it digitally inspired by global movements while being distinctly grounded in local fault lines.
However, within the fold of youth activism, we see the emergence of never-before-seen, non-quintessential actors. Digital media is at the forefront. In that regard, the Arab Spring of 2010 acted as a "trendsetter" for instigating political action through social media visuals and hashtags. Youth were mobilised through information dissemination and online rhetoric. At this time and age, we see young people at the forefront of creating this rhetoric. They are not just a herd of passive sheep being led by a herder; they are the herders themselves! They actively engage in curating online rhetoric, posting reels, highlights, and clips of podcasts to give voice to their dissent and aggression. Silent roars of dissent reverberate across social media applications through the virality of hashtags.
The prodigious force of youth activism is substantiated by the Student-People Uprising (2024) in Bangladesh, which ultimately led to the dethroning of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the fight against economic inequality, corruption, and authoritarianism. Similarly, the anti-CAA protests in India were primarily driven by young individuals across campuses such as JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, and AMU. However, the revolutionary attempts of this new generation of political activists were met with internet shutdowns and the erasure of protest-related content. While these revolutions are reposing a new meaning to "bottom-up democracy," they are also contributing to increased turbulence and instability in the South Asian region.
A Double-Edged Sword?
When does a good thing become too much? When does it cross that faint line and enter the realm of problematic? Thus far, our arguments have shed light on the victories of Gen Z in dominating the digital space to amplify their voices in the socio-political purviews. However, let us turn the camera's focus to what transpires behind the scenes for a moment. First, the intent with which one leverages social media is a critical aspect to deliberate over. Is it purely altruistic? To raise your voice and mobilize your fellow workers against injustice, inequality, and unemployment? Is it merely to garner more followers? Or is it just to preach politically correct statements that fall in direct contradiction to one's own belief just to stay "relevant"?
Influencers who might portray themselves as messiahs or harbingers of revolutionary change may fit into the quintessential narrative of a crooked politician, feeding lies and preaching fabricated half-truths in the name of more money and fame. In light of this, it cannot be too far-fetched to assert that digital mania is slowly producing a new age of "megalomaniac influencers" that not only merely describe or make commentaries on narratives but also distort them to polarize their followers. It's true what they say: "Don't trust everything you see on the internet."
Today, the role of social media narratives in dispensing polarizing ideologies is becoming increasingly imperative. In recognition of this, states have doubled their efforts to sheathe sensitive online content to prevent further polarization. However, a fine line exists in this scenario too — one that divides the prevention of the spread of misinformation, fearmongering, and prejudiced rhetoric, and the other that obliterates the autonomy of a platform established for critiquing the actions of the government and thereby suppressing legitimate dissent. For instance, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, China censored information on the web about the virus's origins and fake remedies to prevent mass panic and the spread of rumors that would destabilize public health efforts. On a similar note, the anti-CAA protests were met with internet shutdowns, which were looked upon as a way of silencing youth mobilization and curtailing freedom of expression and speech.
Commentaries on the negative ramifications of digital tools continue to scrutinize the effects of polarization. There are claims of excessive polarization due to the magic of algorithms displaying similar kinds of posts, creating a sort of vacuum that does not allow tolerance for other ideologies to grow. Shadow banning or visibility suppression also ensures that only a singular content reaches the audience, one that is congruent with mainstream rhetoric.
On a regional level, shared anxieties are binding many South Asian countries due to the exacerbating fear of youth agency in this hyper-connected digital world. From Pakistan's criminalization of dissent under PECA to Bangladesh's Digital Security Act, to Sri Lankan surveillance of protest accounts, it seems that the phenomenon of dissent suppression is catching on like a new "viral trend." The major challenge for the region in the foreseeable future is the adequate balancing between surveillance of digital forums and platforms to prevent the fostering of terrorist or criminal activities, spreading of false narratives, and polarization of nubile minds — with carving out an autonomous space for the free and safe expression of speech in this new digital age.
Dangerous Power and Impressionable Minds
Speech is not a practice to be performed with half a mind. The platform to speak and preach is a privilege that cannot be handed out like freebies. Since social media is accessible ubiquitously to everyone, despite their age or history, the power to leverage it for creating new narratives is held by almost everyone. Minimum censorship, seamless content creation, and the allure of influencer culture have incentivized Gen Z to create and produce their content with little to no regard for its real-life impact. The recent controversy surrounding a fourth-year law student, Sharmistha Panoli, is a signal example of how reckless speech on the internet, one that disparages a particular community or religion, is met with serious legal and judicial consequences. The event spiraled into a national debate, leading to opposing factions and polarized opinions.
The infiltration of terrorist and criminal activities is also a matter of great concern, which complicates the already turbulent relations of the South Asian region. There has been a recurring history of terrorist groups preying on and recruiting young and nubile minds, often capitalising on socioeconomic distress or political disillusionment. From the rise of ISIS-inspired modules in Sri Lanka to the mobilisation of young people by the Taliban in the border provinces of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The same platforms that are touted as empowering have also created channels for disseminating hate-driven ideologies and extremist propaganda.
Dreams of a New Generation and Women's Empowerment
In Gen Z, we find a new age of political leaders filled with fresh perspectives, abundant tolerance, and the ability to say it as they see it! This generation dreams loudly and speaks even louder. The world is hopeful of a fresh set of voices that await us. Quintessential means of mobilisation would be bygone, to be replaced with technologically friendly, digital platforms. There has been a shift towards podcasts, audiobooks, and influencer appearances. The recent interview of Vijay Malaya with Raj Shamani, a prominent Indian YouTuber and podcast host, has taken the country by storm as it alludes to a new kind of power dynamic, one that renders even traditional news channels obsolete.
Female empowerment has also secured a new digital stage. The predominance of female content creators on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube has allowed lakhs of women to voice their experiences, opinions, cultures, and hardships. It has also played a critical role in economically emancipating the female population, with many influencers earning and securing a livelihood for themselves. Female entrepreneurs have launched businesses from their rooms, all because of the prodigious power of social media. Virality is no longer merely an online concept; it holds the power to completely transform lives and foster self-sufficiency. Moreover, political activism that takes place behind the screen also proves to be a viable alternative for women living in remote areas or belonging to orthodox families that disallow them from being physically present for such dissent.
In a nutshell, Gen Z, in the contemporary parlance, holds a delicate and fragile power in their hands. There is a potent need to leverage it for the betterment of society and the upliftment of the oppressed population. Social media should be a focal point for a cornucopia of voices. However, this new form of empowerment must be used wisely and carefully. There is also a need for reasonable surveillance by the state to curb the spread of fabricated narratives and misinformation while respecting the value of freedom of speech and expression. In this sense, the state is supposed to act as a midwife for the effective and transformative realisation of freedom of speech and expression. In the context of the South Asian region, there is a need for greater multilateral collaboration on security and surveillance issues and the transfer of useful technology to secure and encrypt sensitive information so that it does not fall into the wrong hands. In this globalised world, the tightening of such surveillance becomes even more critical since the capacity of borders to prevent the flow of ideas, capital, and people has gradually lost its effectiveness. Thus, as the spirit of rebellion, resistance, and repression arises, it is perhaps the very tumult that defines the South Asian spirit today — resilient, rebellious, and restlessly hopeful.
About the Author: Dipanita Kulshrestha
A third-year undergraduate student at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, she is pursuing an Honours degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics. She has contributed to editorial teams and research collectives affiliated with organisations such as the ASEAN Youth Organization, 8One Foundation, and INPAC Times, working on issues pertaining to South Asian politics, youth engagement, digital mobilisation and feminist discourse.
