Opinion | Politics of attention economy

Key Points

• The September 8 protests in Nepal led to significant political upheaval, including governmental collapse and loss of life.
• The protests, initially about a social media ban, were labeled as "Gen Z" protests but may be more accurately described as the "Fall Protests, 2025."
• Sudan Gurung emerged as a prominent figure in the protests, symbolizing the digitally mobilized generation exploiting the attention economy.
• The article discusses dangers of the attention economy such as misinformation, confirmation bias, and the rise of post-truth in Nepali politics.