NOVEMBER 8 — The perfect storm begins like all storms do — quietly.

A hashtag, a meme, a song whispered across the static of the internet. Then the real surge happens. This time, it is not armies marching in the streets but youths with phones — rewriting the world’s political landscape.

Today’s young people are voting, marching, and when pushed too far, burning the symbols of power itself.

New Yorkers chose Zohran Mamdani to become the city’s 111th mayor. When he is sworn in come January 2026, he will be the city’s first Muslim and first New Yorker of Indian origin — a string of firsts in the city’s three-and-a-half-century history.

Mamdani’s victory is not merely about challenging the status quo but about reclaiming the voice of Americans — especially Gen Z.

Across America, 42 per cent of voters under 30 turned against the 47th President, Donald Trump. Gen Z’s rebellion is not predictable, nor is it neatly ideological.

It is not Red or Blue.  It is the colour of poverty — rising rents, student loans, and the unbearable cost of existing.

Young people are rising not for ideology but for oxygen. They feel unheard by those who came before them — the present government — and are simply waiting for someone to fix it.

They believe things could change if they just showed up and voted. Last Tuesday, 34-year-old Mamdani won by a landslide in New York, securing 78 per cent of voters under 30.

What is striking is how similar the anger and hope are in Gen Z protests across the world.

A phrase on a poster spotted during protests in Nepal — “Corruption is sus, stop ghosting democracy” — became a rallying cry that helped youth protesters oust Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli, who resigned amid the country’s worst unrest in decades.

In September this year, crowds set fire to parliament in Kathmandu, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Government buildings and homes of political leaders were attacked nationwide.

The demonstrations, triggered by a ban on social media platforms, swelled into a mass movement that swiftly forced the Prime Minister out of the transitional council.

Never before have youth movements been this synchronized across continents — their grief and defiance so alike.

Last month, young people in Madagascar braved tear gas, water, and power cuts to catalyse the toppling of President Andry Rajoelina, protesting against ageing politicians and reclaiming the ruins of power.

The median age in Nepal is 28, and in Madagascar, 21. Though young, they have been wise enough to see through the theatre of politics on their small phone screens — and bold enough to act for change.

In July 2024, Kenyan youths forced President William Ruto to withdraw a punishing tax bill. In Morocco, a wave of youth-led demonstrations on 27 September 2025, under the banner Gen Z 212, demanded schools instead of stadiums.

These countries are different, but there are clear parallels between their protest movements — what drove them, and what happened after the surprise revolutions.

Young people are frustrated with the world’s creaky, cynical, and ageing governments that still treat them like decorations, campaign posters, and diversity panels — taking for granted their token longing for inclusion.

Gen Z — a restless generation raised on crisis and contradiction — is remaking democracy in its own image. It is not waiting for inheritance but rehearsing for a new kind of politics.

Governments fall, presidents flee, and still the question remains: will the revolutions they ignite survive their own fire?

They are not revolutionaries in the way we once imagined. There are no manifestos, no marches carved neatly into history books — only the pulse of a smartphone.

In Nepal, they rose against a social media ban. The sparks were local, but the rage was global.

Social media is both their megaphone and their battlefield. Through TikTok, Instagram, and Discord, they have built invisible networks of solidarity. They share the same jokes, the same heartbreak, and the same vocabulary of frustration.

Gen Z activists have a clear vision for the future — one built on accountability, equity, and sustainability. Their protests are driven by moral urgency and a rejection of the status quo. Yet many are unprepared to achieve these goals within existing political and social systems, and the long-term impact of their activism remains uncertain.

And if they are writing their own constitutions on their phones, it could be the beginning of unprecedented trouble — or transformation — on another level.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.