比利时历史学家Anton Jäger在其著作《超政治化》中指出，当代民主社会面临一个悖论：政治话题充斥日常生活，却难以产生实质性改变[1]。新自由主义的扩张削弱了工会、教堂和公民协会等传统机构，取而代之的是市场与数字平台[1]。这一转变特别影响了Z代，他们被描述为"新自由主义废墟的儿女"，自出生起便生活在永久危机之中——从特朗普到脱欧、气候变化再到疫情[1]。
Z代确实比历代更加政治化。澳大利亚一项2022年的民调显示，57%的受访者认为投票差异会成为约会关系破裂的因素[1]。然而，这种高度的政治参与并未转化为持久的组织力量。年轻人主要通过算法推荐而非传统机构接触政治内容，导致他们虽然热情满怀但缺乏集中的权力结构[1]。与此同时，孤独感上升、婚姻率下降、社会隔离加剧，政治逐渐成为寻求虚拟归属感的替代品[1]。
然而，这种模式在全球范围内并非绝对。作者指出西方框架过于狭隘，孟加拉国青年在2024年成功推翻了压制性领导人，印度的"蟑螂运动"也成功促使教育部长下台[1]。这些案例表明，年轻人的动员在适当条件下仍能产生实际的政治后果。
A new book examining contemporary democracy suggests that politics has become inescapable in modern life, yet this pervasiveness may paradoxically weaken its transformative potential. According to an analysis of Belgian historian Anton Jäger's work "Hyperpoliticization," the landscape of political engagement has fundamentally shifted [1]. Neoliberalism has dismantled traditional institutions like unions, churches, and civic associations, allowing markets and digital platforms to fill the void [1]. This institutional decay has reshaped how younger generations encounter and experience politics, creating a world where political consciousness is everywhere but organized power is nowhere.
Generation Z has grown up as what the analysis describes as "children of the neoliberal ruins," navigating perpetual crises from birth—including Trump, Brexit, climate change, and the pandemic [1]. These young people are highly politicized, yet they engage with politics primarily through algorithms rather than through lasting organizational structures [1]. A 2022 Triple J poll found that 57% of respondents believed voting differences could become a breaking point in relationships [1], illustrating how deeply political identity has penetrated personal life. Loneliness and social isolation have risen while marriage rates have declined, transforming politics into a substitute for genuine community belonging [1]. Notably, Australian Gen Z marks the first generation in history where males express greater religious affiliation than females, though this reflects identity performance rather than institutional participation [1].
The analysis challenges Western-centric pessimism by pointing to youth mobilization with tangible political consequences elsewhere. Young people in Bangladesh successfully overthrew an oppressive leader in 2024, while India's "cockroach movement" pressured the education minister to resign [1]. These examples demonstrate that youth-driven activism can generate actual political outcomes, suggesting that the challenge lies not in Generation Z's political capacity but in translating widespread politicization into sustained institutional power within democratic systems.
