In August 2024, the ban on TikTok was temporarily lifted in Nepal. Many content creators celebrated this by posting content and being ‘thankful’ for finally getting a medium to get back to their followers, many of whom used TikTok to promote their businesses.
TikTok is addictive. There is no doubt about that. Time flies while you scroll through the next video. What I like most about TikTok is the fact that I can see people from all walks of life doing their thing on TikTok. Contrary to popular media, it provided an outlet for the common people to tell their side of the story and express it in a way that is short and yet entertaining.
TikTok proved to be the fastest-growing social network in Nepal, amassing an active user base of 2.2 million since its launch in 2017. Due to the easy interface and short-form videos, the popularity of TikTok soared in Nepal.
It is popular among all age groups in Nepal. From beauty and lifestyle topics like makeup and GRWM (get ready with me) videos to more creative sketches, dance challenges, cooking, business and others, the Nepali TikTok community have been expressing themselves in many ways. TikTok has been used to reclaim narratives and online spaces by marginalized people. Likewise, many people express their joy, happiness and general mood through or in TikTok.
Cultural HegemonyÂ
‘Cultural Hegemony’ is a concept articulated by Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci in The Prison Notebook. It describes the dominance of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class by manipulating its beliefs, perceptions, values, and more to make the values imposed by the ruling class the standard norms. This dominance is not achieved through force or coercion but through manufactured consent by influencing institutions that influence culture like the media, religion, educational institutions, etc. This results in the general population accepting the worldview of the ruling class as the ‘standard’ or ‘natural’ and even contributes to it without knowing that they are subordinating themselves. The ruling class maintains power by influencing ideology and culture by controlling the cultural narrative and making their power legitimate. This type of control is subtle and is implanted through language, religion, media and institutions to present the dominant culture as universal truths. (Gramsci, 1971)
The mainstream media is the hub for parroting the dominant Brahminical hetero-patriarchal narrative in Nepal. Several reports are showing the lack of representation and minimal coverage of news relating to the marginalized people of Nepal. Even when marginalized groups are represented, frequently they are not portrayed in a good light. The mainstream media has been sexualizing indigenous and ethnic groups in their portrayal, reducing these girls and women to mere exotic beings. In the face of lack of representation and coverage in the mainstream media, apps like TikTok which are user-friendly and popular, are a great tool to voice your concerns and opinions and disseminate information. By using this kind of App a counter-narrative of dominant cultural and political norms can be formed.
TikTok has been successful in breaking the monopoly of the mainstream media in disseminating information and producing entertaining content. People tend to log into TikTok for news and entertainment and are not solely dependent on mainstream medias. As people with marginalized identities use these spaces to share their experiences, ideas, and creativity, they contribute to a dialogue that disrupts the mainstream narrative and gives rise to new forms of subcultural identity.
Nepali Sanskar, Sanskriti and Whatever
In Nepali national media, the way women and queer people are presented is often one-dimensional passive subjects, their identity; linear. With apps like TikTok, women and queer people have been taking control to build their narrative and present the multidimensional aspects of their life. TikTok has been an outlet for women and queer people to archive their life; to speak their truth while simultaneously challenging stereotypical portrayals of themselves.
There has been a lot of incidental discourse relating to certain kinds of TikTok videos that circulate once in a while, where netizens cry that Nepali women are forgetting their Sanskar. The commonality in most of these videos is that women on TikTok tend to post themselves singing, dancing, twerking or wearing clothes they are comfortable in. Centering women, their bodies and their experiences to create a video you feel comfortable sharing is an empowering practice of self-representation and practice of autonomy. The discourses and the accusation made towards the creator of a video devoid of the male gaze make it seem like the practice of agency and sexual expression by a confident woman is an antithesis to the Nepali Sanskar. There is nothing more lethal to the Brahmanical patriarchy as women expressing JOY!
Comments on videos posted regarding PRIDE 2023, had a similar kind of traction. The discourses ranged from showing concern about the future of Nepal’s population because seemingly a large number of youths were homosexual influenced by Western values *eye rolls* to being outright queerphobic. Queers were denied of being a part of Nepali Sanskriti and the display of PRIDE was termed vulgar and imported. The foundation of a hetero-patriarchal society was crumbling as they saw the fashionist queers waving the rainbow flag and occupying the streets in various parts of Nepal while they countered the narrative of heterosexual patriarchal societal structure.
Despite the rich diversity in Nepal, in terms of culture, ethnicity, and geography many marginalized groups have to prove and perform their Nepali-ness by adhering to the Brahminical hegemony. Discourse on Identity politics also resurfaces once in a while, where issues of linguistic conformity, upholding caste and, performing culture is the dominant narrative. The dominant cultural norms were often dictated by Brahmins, Chettri’s and Upper caste Newars. This has been a tool of social control that makes sure either the marginalized group conforms to these norms or risk exclusion. Either by perfecting their Nepali or by maintaining caste hierarchy time and again.
Social media, especially TikTok has been a great tool to counter this form of hegemony by redefining what is to be a Nepali that reflects the lived experience of these diverse people. It has also helped to create a community who are educating themselves on Nepali history of various groups of Nepal that are not generally taught in the school curriculum, a community of people in solidarity and mutual respect. Several TikTok creators’ vlogs their day-to-day lives and promote and showcase life outside urban areas of Nepal, showing the audience a different way of being Nepali. My favourite TikTokers among them is @flyingpiggi. Her video is a blend of urban-rural Nepali life where she shares her daily lifestyle video and shares recipes of food and culture of the people of Rai community.
Subculture as resistance
According to the Open Education Sociology Dictionary, Subculture(noun) is a group within a society whose behaviours’, norms and values differ in some distinct ways from the dominant culture.
The subculture scene in Nepal is quite new. The emergence of a subculture scene in Nepal, fueled by platforms like TikTok and Instagram, reflects how global trends are reshaping local identities. As Nepali youth engage with international styles, they also strive to create a version of these trends that feels uniquely their own, blending global influences with local cultural expressions. TikTok, in particular, has become a hub for creativity, with users popularizing viral content such as catchphrases, dance challenges, and humorous dialogues.
Badal Barsha Bijuli took over Nepali media last year when two popular Nepali TikTokers (@Prisma_Princy)danced to it and it went viral. As the dance went viral, it put Nepal in the spotlight and gave plenty of opportunities to advertise Nepali culture, songs, dance, attire and festivals. These trends, which may start on social media, are increasingly adopted by mainstream media in Nepal, signaling a shift in how cultural trends evolve and gain mass appeal.
Subcultures often serve as spaces of resistance, especially for people with marginalized identities, and the emerging subculture scene in Nepal is no exception. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are celebrated for their aesthetic content such as fashion trends, dance moves, and viral challenges. There is also a growing emphasis on using these spaces for learning, dialogue, and pushing back against dominant narratives.
During Teej, a festival commonly celebrated by Hindu women from the hilly region of Nepal, TikTok remains a space to display their ramailo celebration. While the root of the festival reinforces Brahmanical patriarchy, women nowadays have reclaimed it as a festival of enjoyment where they gather together in their most pretty attire, eat darr and dance. In 2022, tera kaala chasma, was a highlight among all Teej TikTok. In these videos, among Teej celebrators, a woman would come in the middle, kneel and twerk to the beat of the song whereas others hyped her. The video was all fun until the moral police of Nepal deemed these fun videos as against Nepali Sanskar as women of all ages wearing Saris were having fun instead of centering men, fasting for them and drinking the water from their feet as the Teej originally required to. Women, however, didn’t cower to this kind of moral policing as there was unwavering support and solidarity for advocacy for the practice of women’s agency in digital spaces.
For marginalized groups in Nepal, whether due to caste, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, subcultures can provide a platform to critique societal norms and challenge the mainstream discourse that often silences or misrepresents them. Social media, in this context, has become a powerful tool for fostering discussions around identity, inclusion, and resistance to systemic inequalities. It offers a space where marginalized voices can be amplified, often through the creative language of memes, videos, and art, but also through more direct conversations about lived experiences.
TikTok accounts like Indigenous_community, Indigenousmagar, Kiratraiindigenous1, Madheshkoawaz and many others accounts highlight Indigenous, ethnic and geographic culture and tradition, and simultaneously work as an archive of information to their community. These accounts not only present the rich history, Indigenous knowledge, language and culture of these communities but also bring forward conversations of oppression and violence that they had to face from the state at different times in history, along with their resilience and struggle to preserve and promote it.
These platforms allow individuals to engage in discussions around issues like gender inequality, caste-based discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights, gender roles, and other forms of social exclusion. By participating in these conversations, marginalized groups create a counter-narrative that resists the hegemonic cultural and political norms. For example, people might use dance trends not just as a form of expression, but also as a way to question gender norms, or they might repurpose popular dialogues to make a statement about inequality.
The blending of global subcultural aesthetics with local issues allows for a form of resistance that is both visually compelling and socially meaningful. It helps Nepali youth, particularly those from marginalized communities, not only to express their identities but also to reshape the narratives that have traditionally dominated their lives. Through this fusion, they create spaces where they can redefine what it means to be a part of Nepali society, while also engaging with global conversations on marginalization and social justice.
When writing the first draft of this article, TikTok was banned in Nepal. I was writing about the linkage between the TikTok ban and the curtailment of online sexual expression without thinking much about the larger impact of censorship and what it means in a culturally diverse country like Nepal. TikTok was previously banned by the Government of Nepal on 23rd November 2023, citing that TikTok disrupted social harmony. The authority at that time justified the ban by saying that the ban was necessary to prevent the misuse of the app as it disturbed social harmony and impacted family and social structure.
The ban was lifted temporarily as the Nepali authority gave the app a three-month deadline to meet certain terms and conditions. According to the minister, to resume the operation of TikTok, the app has to comply with four main conditions which are: to promote Nepal’s tourism, invest in digital literacy, support public education, and ensure that respectful language is used. While the demand may seem valid at first. Words like ‘respectful language’ can be open to interpretation by the authority, are vague and can be exploited by the state to silence any dissenting opinions and expression by the people. Who determines what is respectful? What are the criteria?
Around the globe, many countries including the US have banned TikTok citing security concerns relating to data protection and a lack of laws to protect user data. Similarly, neighbouring countries like India have also banned the app due to the diplomatic strain in China-India relationship. However, Nepal’s reason for banning the app is unique as the government of Nepal cites disruption of social harmony as a primary cause rather than concern relating to data protection. If the government of Nepal were to show concern over user data, other popular apps would also come into scrutiny.
The whimsical nature in which the government is the sole authority in permitting or banning TikTok or any other apps reflect the hegemonic decision-making in Nepal.
Although freedom of expression and opinion is constitutionally guaranteed, it often appears conditional when it challenges the narrative shaped by the ruling class of Nepal. The videos from TikTok often circulate to other social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the government’s decision to censor and restrict expression solely on TikTok provokes you with a grave inquiry: whose expression is the government trying to censor? Whose voices are they trying to silence and why?