Reuters

Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the publication of Twilight, the first book in Stephanie Meyer&rsquo;s teen vampire romance saga published between 2005 and 2020. It has also been almost 20 years since Kristen Stewart&rsquo;s awkward &ldquo;plain girl&rdquo; Bella and Robert Pattinson&rsquo;s century-old glittery Edward appeared in the first movie. The film Twilight (2008) grossed more than $407 million worldwide during its theatrical release. It is often credited with launching the careers of Stewart and Pattinson. Full of awkward dialogue, melodramatic acting, and absurd scenes, such as the iconic vampire family-bonding baseball game, Twilight has earned a cult status.&nbsp; The franchise has amassed a dedicated fandom of &ldquo;Twihards&rdquo;, including some surprisingly young fans who, two decades on, won&rsquo;t let it fade from the cultural consciousness. The Twilight renaissanceMeyer&rsquo;s Twilight books sired a growing brood of 2000s teen vampire romance novels, including L.J. Smith&rsquo;s The Vampire Diaries series (2009&ndash;17) and Richelle Mead&rsquo;s Vampire Academy series (2007&ndash;10). The COVID pandemic also ushered in the revival of the romantasy genre on #BookTok, TikTok&rsquo;s sub-community for bibliophiles. BookTok has greatly resurrected our collective nostalgia for paranormal romances, providing a useful context for understanding the &ldquo;Twilight renaissance&rdquo; of recent years. The most obvious sign of the Twilight franchise&rsquo;s ongoing popularity is the non-stop parade of memes on social media, spoofing everything from the characters to the plot, acting, and continuity errors, as well as low-budget visual effects. Across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Twihards create and share daily Twilight-themed content on their own accounts and on dedicated fan accounts. In the 2009 film sequel, Twilight: New Moon, the teen-werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) runs grinning towards Bella, exclaiming: &ldquo;Bella, where the hell have you been, loca?&rdquo;. This bizarre line and its delivery inadvertently created one of the most popular Twilight memes of all time. Even the actors have gotten on board with poking fun at the franchise&rsquo;s unintentionally goofy moments. The resurgence of the Twilight subculture also comes down to fans re-watching the films after they were added to Netflix in 2021. All five films quickly entered the streaming platforms&rsquo; top ten most-watched list. The first film, produced with a budget of just $37 million, lends itself particularly well to repeat viewing, as it is full of odd and quirky details. Escaping to Forks, WashingtonIn her book, Memes and Digital Culture, Professor of Communications Limor Shifman argues that, despite their seemingly trivial nature, memes play a crucial role in shaping and reflecting how people perceive the world. Members of Gen Z, many of whom grew up watching the Twilight films, are now young adults navigating a complex world. They also happen to be the most meme-obsessed generation. The Twilight renaissance may reveal how they are grappling with contemporary life, with some fans calling it a &ldquo;recession indicator.&rdquo; Fans seeking safety and familiarity in tough times will watch the films over and over. &ldquo;Watching them brings me right back to a time in my childhood where possibilities were endless, and it makes me so happy,&rdquo; says one Reddit user. Twilight across the generational divideYoung adult fiction &mdash;&nbsp;particularly narratives with supernatural, paranormal, or fantasy romance elements&nbsp;&mdash; offers an escape from reality that centers&nbsp;on the universal experience of adolescence. Coming-of-age stories, such as Twilight, allow young people to navigate the emotional trials of love, friendship, and self-discovery in a way that feels both sufficiently different and familiar. And while millennials experienced Twilight first-hand, throngs of Gen Zers are now finding their way to Forks through this resurgence of 2000s pop culture. For both generations, Twilight provides comfort and escapism, while its memeification fosters the kind of online camaraderie that&rsquo;s often sought in tumultuous times.

Film & TV

Two decades on, Twilight remains popular with Gen Z, who find comfort, nostalgia, and humor in its cringey charm. Streaming, memes, and BookTok have fueled a cultural revival of the iconic vampire romance saga.

Why Gen Z is still obsessed with Twilight, two decades on

Romesa Umar

ISLAMABAD: At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in Kathmandu on Monday after police opened fire on protesters storming Nepal&rsquo;s Federal Parliament in response to a controversial social media ban, Reuters reported.The unrest broke out outside the parliament building, where thousands of mostly young demonstrators had gathered. Witnesses said police fired live rounds, rubber bullets, and tear gas after some protesters breached barricades, set fire to an ambulance, and attempted to enter the compound.Others hurled stones at security forces and transported the wounded away on motorcycles.The protests were sparked by the government&rsquo;s decision to block major social media platforms that failed to meet new regulatory requirements. Under the new policy, platforms were ordered to register with Nepal&rsquo;s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, open local offices, and appoint official representatives by a September 3 deadline.Platforms that complied and those blockedOfficials said apps like TikTok, Viber, and WeTalk complied with the rules. However, Meta-owned Messenger and others were blocked.A government official told Reuters that the restrictions aim to curb fake accounts and rising cybercrime, which authorities claim threaten national unity.Popularity of Social Media ApplicationsThe ban has hit Nepal&rsquo;s diaspora community especially hard. Roughly 7.5% of Nepal&rsquo;s population lives abroad and relies on messaging apps to stay in touch with family.According to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority&rsquo;s 2021 report, over 90% of the country&rsquo;s 30 million people use the internet. Many have already shifted to platforms like Viber to maintain communication.&ldquo;The new generation in Nepal&rdquo;Protesters argue that the ban restricts free expression and blocks critical communication tools. Chants like &ldquo;Shut down corruption, not social media,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Youth against corruption,&rdquo; echoed through the crowd, reflecting wider dissatisfaction with government transparency and governance.The situation escalated rapidly, merging frustrations over corruption, censorship, and what many see as an authoritarian overreach into digital life.While the government has not declared a state of emergency, officials have warned of stricter crackdowns if the violence continues.The incident marks one of the deadliest outbreaks of civil unrest in Nepal in recent years and underscores a growing clash between the state&rsquo;s push for digital regulation and the demands of a young, connected population seeking free access to global platforms.

Asia

At least 14 killed in Kathmandu as protests against Nepal’s ban on 26 social media platforms escalate into violent clashes with police.

Articles tagged with "Gen Z"

Why Gen Z is still obsessed with Twilight, two decades on

14 killed as Nepal protests erupt over social media ban