Gen Z Can’t Be Dismissed Anymore: Gul Panag
- pradeep
- Aug 13
- 2 min read
Actor Gul Panag has praised Gen Z for the role young people played in recent student protests at Jantar Mantar, saying the generation may have been underestimated far too quickly.
Her comments came in the context of student-led protests over the NEET UG paper leak, where young people gathered to demand accountability and push the issue into the national conversation.
Gen Z Is Showing Up
Panag said young people are no longer simply accepting the idea that nothing can change.
Instead, she pointed to students organising peacefully, asking questions and demanding accountability as an example of democratic participation in action.
‘Youth Can No Longer Be Dismissed’
According to Panag, the Jantar Mantar protests demonstrated that young people can influence public debate even when some of them are not yet old enough to vote.
She argued that they can shape conversations, influence voters and push those in power to respond.
Gen Z And The ‘Flimsy’ Label
The actor also pushed back against stereotypes that portray Gen Z as frivolous, commitment-phobic or interested only in social media.
Panag said social media is also one of the key tools young people now use to gather information, organise themselves and amplify their voices.
Social Media As A Tool For Change
What is often criticised as excessive social media use can also become a powerful organising tool when young people rally around an issue.
For Panag, the recent protests showed a generation that is highly aware of issues affecting its future and willing to take action when it believes something is wrong.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Gen Z is often stereotyped as distracted, overly online or unwilling to commit to serious causes.
But the recent student protests challenge that narrative.
When young people organise around education, accountability and issues directly affecting their future, their online networks can quickly translate into real-world pressure.
Panag’s larger point is simple: dismissing Gen Z because of age or internet culture may mean underestimating how much influence this generation can actually have.
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