Opinion | The politics of the attention economy

Key Points

• The 9/8 protests in Nepal escalated from peaceful demonstration against social media ban to violent anarchy causing deaths and property destruction.
• The protests, labeled 'Gen Z Movement,' have complex political motives tied to regime change and social media manipulation.
• Sudan Gurung emerged as the prominent face and leader of the protesters, leveraging digital media to build influence.
• The article discusses the pitfalls of the attention economy, including information bubbles, participatory disinformation, and post-truth realities in Nepali politics.