The Psychology of Gen Z’s Uprising: Protest, Play, and Purpose

To a lot of us, healing meant quiet endurance — gritting our teeth and adjusting to whatever life threw at us. That was the millennial way: silently hoping for change, often suffering in private, and finding small escapes online or in daily routines. Gen Z doesn’t do that! For them, mental health isn’t an afterthought but the foundation. They aren’t just navigating an unstable world; they’re reshaping it to fit their needs. Their memes, reels, and playful “unseriousness” might seem trivial, but they reveal something deeper: a generation discovering that healing can be both personal and collective, and that resilience can take unexpected forms.

Nepal is living through that transformation right now. For them, this is more than politics—it’s an existential confrontation with uncertainty. While millennials often get caught in cycles of burnout, stress, and quiet despair, Gen Z is choosing to heal loudly, turning anxiety into action and refusing to be defined by limitation. Their defiance carries purpose, showing that even in chaos, meaning can be reclaimed.

Their courage is intentional, a mix of self-efficacy, agency, and the refusal to let instability control their lives. Image source - supplied by Ishrath (screenshot of an Instagram page)

This courage has deep cultural roots. Nepalese society has long celebrated bravery, from folklore to the legendary Gorkha Regiment in the Indian Army. Growing up with that narrative gives these youngsters a mental framework for action: they believe they can face challenges, speak out, and make a difference. Their courage is intentional, a mix of self-efficacy, agency, and the refusal to let instability control their lives.

“Life always holds the potential for meaning, even in its most difficult moments,” wrote Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and philosopher. He argued it is our responsibility to discover that meaning—and by doing so, we give life purpose. Gen Z embodies this idea, finding identity not just in themselves but in communities online and offline. It’s no coincidence that Nepalese youth even created an online community, Youth Against Corruption, electing their first woman Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, via Discord - a United States-based free messaging platform mainly used by online gamers. The online huddle was organised by Hami Nepal, a Gen Z group behind the protest with more than 160,000 members. If that isn’t representation, what is?

What angers many young adults today is the stark contrast between their own struggle for work and stability and the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children. The playful yet ironic “Nepo Kids” trend didn’t come from envy—it grew out of frustration at corruption and widening inequality. Through humour and irony, Gen Z is coping, connecting, and reclaiming agency in a world where so much feels out of their control.

Across borders, this same energy has shaken entire political systems. In Sri Lanka, 2022’s soaring inflation drove young people onto the streets and into the Presidential Palace in Colombo, forcing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. In Bangladesh, 2024 brought student protests against a controversial job-quota system, channelling anger into sustained demonstrations that eventually demanded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. In Indonesia, students and labour unions rose against what they called a “corrupt elite” under President Prabowo Subianto. Across Asia, Gen Z is refusing silence—drawing boundaries, voicing anger, and reminding the world they will not be quietly run over.

Nepali Gen Z is showing that revolution and compassion are not opposites—they walk together. This is what psychologists call integrative resilience: the ability to hold two truths at once. They can be fierce revolutionaries and compassionate helpers. They can fight systems of power while tending to those caught in the middle. Acts like helping relatives of fleeing politicians, cleaning streets, or painting public spaces show that defiance doesn’t cancel out empathy—it deepens it.

And if you’ve been scrolling Instagram, you’ve surely seen fragments of this uprising: a young man swaying on a swing, flute in hand, pouring calm into chaos; a circle of boys laughing over Uno on the streets; someone lying in front of a military truck, scrolling on his phone; another breaking into dance before the burning Parliament; and the shaky but determined steps of first-time protesters learning to stand their ground. One reel playfully claimed, “Gen Z are going to buy mockingbirds for our country!” And not to miss—the British tourist who came as a vlogger but left as the witness to one of most dramatic revolutions.

A collage of various reels on Nepal Protest that are now viral. They are evidence of resilience. Humour, play, and creativity buffer young protesters against trauma and exhaustion. Image supplied/amc

These moments are not just comic relief. They are evidence of resilience. Humour, play, and creativity buffer young protesters against trauma and exhaustion. What looks like absurd theatre is in fact collective emotional regulation—transforming fear into laughter, isolation into belonging, and despair into hope. By weaving play into protest, Gen Z protects their mental health while sustaining the energy needed for long, uncertain struggles.

This revolution, stitched together on reels, shows us that healing and resistance are not opposites—they are companions. Gen Z is teaching us that caring for mental health doesn’t mean retreating from the world. It means stepping into it with courage, humour, and compassion. Their laughter, their defiance—each thread adds to the same fabric of resilience. And in that fabric lies a lesson not just for their generation, but for all of us: that healing, courage, and the drive to build a better future can coexist, even in the most chaotic of times.

-Asia Media Centre