In the heart of Dhaka University, 19-year-old Kulsum feeds her toddler while selling flowers on the pavement near the metro station.
Married at 14, she has lived on the streets since. Kulsum watches TikTok on borrowed phones, but has never heard of the term 'Gen-Z.'
"I just want a roof over my head," she says, "and peace in my country."
As the term 'Gen-Z' gains popularity, especially after the student protests in July last year, questions arise: Does this label reflect the lives of youth like Kulsum? Or does it only speak for the urban elite?
Who Are Gen-Z?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, people born between 1997 and 2012 are defined as belonging to Generation Z.
In the West, this generation is often described as digitally native, socially conscious, and immersed in global pop culture. American psychologist Jean Twenge even labeled them iGen for their intense screen use.
But can this definition be applied wholesale to a country like Bangladesh, where over 60% of people live in rural areas, and millions of adolescents lack access to basic education, technology, or rights?
Same age, different realities
"I heard this term first on television, only a month ago. But I don't know the meaning of Gen-Z." Says Nasrin Akter, an SSC examinee from Twinkles school who resides in Mirpur 10.
"I was not involved at all in the protest. I'm not concerned about politics, not tech-savvy, not using a cell phone, and I have no social media account. I felt tense about the movement, heard discussions among my family, but did not participate." Nasrin added.
In contrast, Al-Amin, a 16-year-old tea seller who works by a landfill near Nasrin's Paris Road abode, is an avid mobile gamer. He has a TikTok account with numerous followers.
His friends participated in the July protests, but family obligations kept him at bay.
"This is the first time I'm hearing the word Gen-Z," he admits with a smile when queried by this reporter.
All three teenagers live in Dhaka. All belong to the so-called "Gen-Z" age group, but their exposure, opportunities, and experiences could not be more different.
The story the numbers tell
- The 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by Unicef reported that 11.3% of children in Bangladesh are engaged in child labour, including hazardous work.
According to a Unicef report published in 2023:
- 51% of women were married before the age of 18.
- 13 million women were married before 15.
- In urban areas, 30.1% of adolescents aged 13–18 live and sleep in public spaces like streets, stations, and parks without proper shelter.
Their daily struggle is not about hashtags or popular cafes, but survival.
A class divide in disguise
"This Gen-Z concept is borrowed from Western lifestyle and adapted by a specific socio-economic class," says Dr Bulbul Ashraf, associate professor of anthropology and sociology at North South University.
"Mostly, middle and upper-middle class youth relate to this culture. But calling the entire age group 'Gen-Z' risks creating a cultural hierarchy – a kind of superiority complex. It doesn't represent the millions of underprivileged youths in Bangladesh."
He suggests generations should not simply be defined by age, but also access to education, digital tools, and social capital.
Voices from outside Dhaka
In Shibchar, Madaripur, 15-year-old Samia watches Korean dramas and is glued to social media. Although she lives in a village, her digital habits align more with urban teens. However, she has no idea about the term Gen-Z.
Meanwhile, in a remote hill district, 24-year-old U Thant Showie Marma remains disconnected from both technology and urban youth culture.
His struggle in a disconnected world came to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic, when classes shifted to a virtual format.
With no internet access, he was falling behind. Although Marma would overcome this impediment, his struggle highlights how even geography can shape generational identity in a country like Bangladesh.
The common thread
Whether it's Nasrin without a phone, Al-Amin with TikTok, or Kulsum living on the footpath with a baby – these young people are of the same generation by age, but not by experience.
The Gen-Z narrative, shaped largely by urban and digital culture, leaves behind a silent majority: street children, adolescent workers, and rural girls forced into early marriage.
For them, terms like "cancel culture" or "digital activism" hold little meaning. These individuals are not bothered, nor altogether aware, of what generation they are bundled into. They are focused on the most primal task of all: survival.
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