Twitter Revolution vs. TikTok Uprisings: Comparing Gen-Z and Millennial Movements Through the Lens of Social Media

Author: Daniel Levy

Field of Study: Geography

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 6

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: On September 9th, 2025, Nepali students broke into their nation's parliament building and set it ablaze. The speed at which the Nepali government fell shocked many. Through a comparative analysis of a timeline of events, this paper evaluates the “Asia Spring” and the largely unsuccessful Arab Spring and other millennial movements to see if the relationship between social media and resistance movements has changed in the past 15 years. The research in this paper shows that social media now plays a positive role in the organization and mobilization of resistance movements. This paper addresses a gap in research about these Gen-Z movements. This comes during a global third wave of authoritarianism paired with Gen-Z entering politics for the first time, a unique time for this research to be conducted. This research contributes to the larger conversation regarding authoritarianism, uncovering more about how to resist authoritarianism in a crucial time.