by Shima Shahrabi
Every evening before leaving the house, Tarlan, a 17-year-old protester from eastern Tehran, writes a sentence on her bedroom mirror with lipstick: “I’m willing to be the next one, if it means I’ll be the last.” She draws a small victory sign beside it and heads out.
The phrase has since spread widely across TikTok and other social media platforms popular among Iranian youth. It reflects a grim reality: many of those killed in recent nationwide protests have been young people under the age of 30.
The protests that erupted in late December 2025 began with strikes by bazaar merchants and shopkeepers in Tehran, triggered by a deepening economic crisis marked by hyperinflation, rising food prices, and the rapid devaluation of the Iranian rial.
Within days, demonstrations that began over economic grievances evolved into broader political demands, including calls for an end to the Islamic Republic. Protests spread to cities including Mashhad, Isfahan, and Shiraz, where demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator.”
Amid this unrest, Iran’s Generation Z, generally defined as those born between 1997 and 2010, has emerged as one of the most visible and active groups in the protests.
A Generation Connected to the World
Many young Iranians say their generation differs from those before it not only in age, but in outlook.
Tarlan told IranWire that, unlike her parents, she and her peers grew up with the internet and constant access to information. “There was no internet in my parents’ youth. They were cut off from the world,” she said. “But from the beginning, we understood that this isn’t a normal life.”
Through social media, young Iranians follow events and protests in other countries. They see peers elsewhere challenging their governments and believe they, too, can demand change.
For Iran’s Generation Z, this global exposure is formative. They have never lived without smartphones, social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, or access — however limited — to a global digital culture. That connectivity shapes their expectations around work, freedom, and the future.
Economic Pressure and Political Awakening
For many young protesters, participation is driven less by political ideology than by frustration with daily life.
“If we don’t protest, what else can we do?” said Omid, a 22-year-old protester from Fars Province. He said that despite working since the age of 16 and earning a steady income, he can no longer afford necessities.
“I can’t even buy a new pair of sneakers,” he said, citing the worsening economic situation.
Omid and others describe a sense of deep disconnection between what young people see online and what they experience at home.
“We’re connected to the entire world,” he said, “but nothing here belongs to us.”
Such sentiments are commonly voiced by Generation Z protesters, who point to the widening gap between global exposure and limited economic, social, and political opportunities inside Iran.
Risk, Fear, and Collective Defiance
Many families find themselves torn between fear for their children’s safety and solidarity with their demands.
Sanaz, a resident of eastern Tehran, said she accompanies her 16-year-old daughter, Sarina, to protests despite serious concerns. They wear protective eyewear, hoodies, and masks — precautions shaped by experience after friends were injured by crowd-control projectiles.
Sanaz expressed mixed feelings about her daughter’s generation.
“I envy their awareness and courage,” she said. “But sometimes their recklessness frightens me.” She recalled that her husband initially tried to prevent Sarinna from attending protests. “He said, ‘If we stop her, she’ll post something on Instagram, get arrested, and be killed.’ And he was right.”
Similar dilemmas are increasingly common for families across Iran as protests continue in cities and provinces nationwide.
A Movement Shaped by Memory
Observers say the role of Generation Z in the current protests cannot be separated from earlier waves of mobilisation, including the 2022–2023 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody.
Those demonstrations drew large numbers of young people and left a lasting mark on their political consciousness.
While today’s protests are shaped by that history, they extend beyond it, combining economic grievances with broader demands for dignity, freedom, and a chance to lead normal lives.
“We Want a Normal Life”
For many young Iranians, the central demand is simple and deeply human: a normal life. Not merely survival, but a chance to plan for the future, pursue opportunities, and live without constant economic, social, and political constraint.
“We want normal,” Tarlan said — a word that, in its simplicity, now carries profound weight in the streets of Iran.
* This article was first published on 6 January 2026 in Iran Wire. The opinions expressed in this translated or hosted article do not necessarily reflect the views or editorial positions of TLF.