From memes to movements: How 2025 became the year of political awakening for Gen Z

What began as side-eyeing governments for being “pompous in power” escalated into calling them out, loudly and publicly. From campus corridors to capital streets, the Gen Z, largely mistaken as the “nonchalants,” made it clear they were no longer willing to cope, stay low-key, or wait their turn. Across countries, young people discovered that turning up in person still mattered. That streets were not obsolete.