00:00Talk now to Lisa McKenzie, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Bedfordshire.
00:05Lisa, welcome. Well, we've been reporting it for days, seemingly.
00:08France, Albania, India, beyond.
00:10We've seen these protests and social unrest over a number of different issues.
00:14What do you think is driving this apparent wave of anger all around the world?
00:19I mean, is there a common thread or is it just lots of different stories?
00:24I think there's lots of different stories, obviously.
00:27Each country, each nation, each area and community have got their own gripes.
00:32But I think there's an overall sort of network that's bringing those people together.
00:37And that's that things are just not fair.
00:40Things in 2026 don't feel fair to ordinary people.
00:46And I think that's across the board throughout Europe, throughout the world,
00:50that there's an idea that there are people at the top
00:54who, you know, who are doing very well.
00:57And then there's a lot of people below that are really struggling.
01:01And I think that is right throughout the world.
01:04In the UK, it's a very common feeling now
01:07and that people think that things are just not fair.
01:11Interestingly, we haven't seen any UK protests,
01:13but the weekend is young, as they say.
01:16I mean, what's interesting is these are predominantly young people
01:19who are out on the streets this week.
01:21And the young people appear to be at the forefront of these demonstrations.
01:25Why are younger demonstrators increasingly willing to come out on the streets
01:31and express their anger so publicly?
01:34I think, well, protest has always been part of a sort of young youth movement.
01:40It's just because young people, when they're young, you know, they can get out,
01:45you know, they can be mobile.
01:46But also, I think the recent wave of youth movement, of youth protest,
01:51really is about the way that society, many societies now,
01:57young people are not getting a fair chance.
01:59And again, we're seeing this right across the world, especially in Europe,
02:04where we've got ageing populations and we've got mass unemployment all over the world.
02:10AI, technology, things are moving in.
02:15Globalisation, this movement of industries all over the world,
02:19and it's leaving lack of chances and opportunities for everybody,
02:24but particularly young people.
02:26And again, here in the UK, this is a very important point.
02:29Because we've got a million young people who are actually unemployed.
02:33So although we haven't seen this sort of unrest yet,
02:39you know, I wouldn't actually rule it out even here in the UK.
02:43Social media makes it easier than ever, doesn't it, to organise them.
02:46And that's also a big factor here.
02:49Yeah, yeah.
02:51I mean, what social media does, it instantly goes around the world.
02:55And, you know, there are groups all around the world that are speaking to each other.
03:00You know, when they're saying, you know, we're young, you know, things aren't right,
03:04you know, we can protest.
03:05But that message is now going across the world, and it does that instantly.
03:10And I think that's another issue, is that young people, again, have an access to social media
03:17in ways perhaps that older people don't.
03:20And they're speaking to each other.
03:22So you can instantly find out where a group is, and you can go and join them.
03:26I also think there's an issue with social media as well, with algorithms that are pushing certain divisions.
03:33So I think some of the divisions that we are seeing has not been created,
03:39but I'd say exacerbated on social media as well.
03:43And again, we're seeing that in the UK.
03:45Lisa, good to see you.
03:46Thank you for that.
03:47Lisa McKenzie, the Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Bedfordshire.
