Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Gen Z comes of age protesting the death of George Floyd

Gen Z comes of age protesting the death of George Floyd

Generation Z is coming of political age as they join with thousands in protesting the police killing of George Floyd, and much of it is playing out online.

Generations that came before Gen Z went through similar awakenings. However, Gen Z is likely to continue engaging even after the protests end because of the power of smartphones and social media, per Axios’ Sara Fischer.

  • Those same platforms also allow this generation to support a movement without setting foot on the streets, by demanding companies "open your purse" in support of Black Lives Matter, retweeting others and more.

  • Video footage of police action is holding law enforcement accountable.

The big picture

The first Gen Zers, born in 1997, have cast aside their parents’ means of communication — newspaper, television and radio — for the internet, and they’ve been online from an early age. They're abandoning traditional media altogether in favor of the web and consuming their news largely via social media, CNBC reports.

Many Gen Zers are flooding the streets with phones in hand to protest racial inequality and upload what they see onto social media, specifically TikTok.

  • TikTok started largely as a platform for sharing viral dances, but has quickly evolved into a space for political discourse for America’s youth as young people use the tool to share stories, according to Reuters.

What’s Next

Nearly 60% of TikTok users fall into Gen Z. Many are posting raw clips of what they see and experience both out in the world and at home.

  • Users have posted encounters with law enforcement while protesting — often before traditional media can get stories published or on-air.

  • Many of Gen Z’s cultural leaders — such as 16-year-old Charli D’Amelio, who has 60 million followers on TikTok — are using their platforms to talk about the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.

  • Gen Zers are providing their own analysis of police brutality against black Americans and sharing raw emotions over Floyd’s death.
    • Some are challenging older family members about police brutality and publishing the conversations — highlighting a generational rift, Business Insider notes.

Young Americans have long challenged the status quo and have driven change — often meeting law enforcement in the streets.

  • The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was founded in 1960 to support the civil rights movement peacefully. It played a substantial role in organizing lunch counter sit-ins and Freedom Rides, and was part of famous marches that include Selma-to-Montgomery, Alabama and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s March on Washington.

  • In the late 1960s, many college students protested the ongoing Vietnam War by organizing sit-ins and marches.

  • Leaders had to rely on word of mouth, pamphlets, posters and songs to get people to support their causes long before the internet existed.

The bottom line:

"There is a stubborn resistance to treating young people's political activism as normal, but the truth is that it's neither extraordinary nor exceptional," Jessica Taft, an associate professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz, told the University of California. "Children and youth are not on the sidelines. They are protagonists in the fight for their rights and their well being."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×