In a country marked by decades of social and economic hardship, it seemed as though nothing could break the vicious cycle. Unemployment, precariousness and a lack of opportunities had been present for years, with no mass mobilisation challenging the powers that be. Then, the unthinkable happened: the government banned social media, both because of the action itself and because of the incendiary repercussions it caused.
From the outside, this might seem like a trivial measure or, at most, another authoritarian gesture. However, it ended up becoming the spark that ignited a revolution and led to the overthrow of the government. And this was not because Nepalese society had not suffered more serious injustices before… But because for Generation Z, social media is not just another form of entertainment; it is an essential part of their lives.
For those who were born in the digital age, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter are not just apps; they are spaces for socialising, gathering information and building identity. They are spaces where personal relationships are maintained, global trends are followed, brands are consumed, and aspirations are projected. Banning them was not just a blow to entertainment, as some might think, but an infringement of an entire generation's existential connectivity.
For Generation Z, social media represents a vast ecosystem of influence and belonging. What used to be cafés, town squares or newspapers has become a feed or a 'like'. In a country where success tends to be sought beyond its borders, cutting off this channel was akin to silencing a collective voice.
The irony is that Nepal's structural problems — inequality, poverty, unemployment, corruption, a sense of impunity among the political class — already existed, but had been normalised. But now digital censorship touched the untouchable for young people by banning 26 social networks. This affected their ability to express themselves, to be part of a community, to communicate and to inform themselves. It also impacted their ability to engage with the wider world beyond Kathmandu and Nepal.
What followed was an unpredictable explosion of protests, demonstrations and the burning of iconic buildings such as parliament. Rulers fell and protesters were killed. It was not just a political issue, but a cultural one. Gen Z had found a common cause and a shared language to state "enough is enough".
This episode leaves us with an important lesson: we cannot underestimate the practical, emotional and social dimension of social media for Generation Z. We're not just talking about leisure here; we're talking about their way of life, how they access information, communicate and form relationships. We're talking about identity.
For a young Nepali, disconnecting them from their social network is as drastic as prohibiting freedom of assembly for previous generations. This scenario should provide a framework for reflection and learning for brands, as it is an example of how social media is not just an advertising showcase, but an ecosystem of trust and belonging that sustains the relationship with their potential customers, especially with this generation, Gen Z.
What happened in Nepal is an extreme case — we also saw protests in the United States earlier this year when legislation was introduced to ban TikTok and other foreign-controlled apps, but the blackout only lasted 13 hours — but it illustrates a global truth: for Generation Z, social media is much more than just a platform for socialising. It is the space in which they define their identity, their relationships and their values. Silencing them is, in effect, an attempt to erase their identity. As we have already seen in Nepal, this can be the real beginning of a revolution.
Alberto Plazas
Account Director
