Examining The Term Nepo Baby, The Group That Makes Gen Z Angry In Nepal

JAKARTA In the midst of a demonstration that ended in chaos in Nepal, the term nepo kidsdannepo baby came back to life. Previously, this term was widely used in the entertainment industry, but now it has negative connotations in the world of politics.

A massive protest by the younger generation known asGen Z Protests in Nepal has occurred since Monday (8/9/2025). This demonstration began with Gen Z's disappointment with the government's decision to block 26 social media applications in the country. They consider this a form of restraint against democracy.

Previously, social media became a tool for Gen Z to campaign for the anti-corruption movement. The government responded by opening up access blocking to social media, but that did not stop public anger.

Nepalese people are actually furious with the viral content of the luxurious lifestyle of officials and Nepo Baby. This shows the social gap between elite families and people who have difficulty getting jobs.

As a result of the massive demonstration, Nepal's government collapsed following the resignation of Nepal's Interior Minister Ramesh Lekak, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, and President Ram Chandra Poudel.

Nepo kidsdannepo baby is the target of Gen Z Nepal's anger. On average they are political heirs. On Nepal's social media, Gen Z shared uploads showing the current lifestyle of officials' children. They share how these nepo kids often vacation abroad, wearing clothes from world-famous brands. All of this is shown on social media.

Summarized from a number of sources there were several babynnepos who were the targets of anger. There is Shrinkhala Khatiwada (29), daughter of former Health Minister Birodh Khatiwada, whose family home was burned down after his luxury trip went viral.

There is also the son-in-law of former Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Shivana Shrestha. She was accused with her husband showing off billions of wealth.

In addition, there is also Smita Dahal, the grandson of former Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. He was criticized for showing off expensive handbags. Then Saugat Thapa's son, Nepalese Minister of Law Bindu Kumar Thapa. He was even labeled a symbol of luxury by local netizens.

In Indonesia itself, the term nepo baby has been widely discussed. In 2023, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who at that time was still a vice presidential candidate, was nicknamed napo baby from foreign media Al Jazeera.

Nepo baby actually stands for nepotism baby. In Indonesian it means baby nepotism. Nepotism is the practice of giving benefits to family or closest people to get something, whether it's work, education, or wealth.

The term nepo babyjustru was first known in the entertainment industry, to describe artists who managed to follow in the footsteps of their parents and have a successful career.

Namun term ini diikuti dengan konotasi negatif karena karier mereka sukses hanya berkat popularitas keluarga. Sudah menjadi rahasia umum di industri hiburan Hollywood, bahwa paranepo baby mendapat izin, poyek akting atau perhatian lebih banyak karena faktor kekebataan, bukan kemampuannya sebagai artis.

In an investigative essay entitled Exptremly Overanalyzing Hollywood's Nepo-Baby Boom, conducted by Nata Jones and published by New York Magazine, it was mentioned that several celebrities were born with special privileges with an artist's child or called "nepo baby".

The names that emerged ranged from one of the STARs of Stranger ThingsMaya Hawke, Maude Apatow, Zoe Kravitz, Gwyneth Paltrow, to the star EMily in ParisLily Collins. Lily Allen, singer and daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen, was reluctant to bother with the baby labelnepo given to her.

According to him, nepo baby is dangerous and should be considered are those who come from among politicians, people in the world of law, or those who have the potential to harm the interests of many people.

In the world of politics, Annepo baby's understanding is also not much different from what happened to the entertainment industry. In the world of politics, nepo baby means someone who takes part in his parents' career in the same world.

And, just like the entertainment industry, nepo baby in the world of politics also has negative connotations. Someone seems to have a brilliant career not because of their abilities, but because of various conveniences thanks to the existence of their parents.

From a psychological point of view, Psychology Today describes the term "nepo baby" with the habit of nepotism in the life of a chimpanzee. "For male chimpanzees, there is an advantage if the mother is high in rank," they wrote.

The benefits include getting more treatment, having access to quality foods, and winning fights against peers. What can be learned from this is that most individuals will always see that it is the party that has the resources or power in power.

"Utilizing the status of others is what those with lower rank are fighting for, be it you or the chimpanzee," they wrote.