The Future Has Wi-Fi: How Gen Z Is Redefining Leadership Through Digital Storytelling
Featuring Interviews with YOUTHTOPIA Circle of Youth members, Maryam and Nivaal Rehman.
Written By Lars Dullart
The Future Has Wi-Fi: How Gen Z Is Redefining Leadership Through Digital Storytelling
When we think of activism, we might still envision the traditional images: a politician lunging from a stage, countless marchers marching through city streets. But more and more the start of movements are now grounded in smaller and quicker—even instantaneous—swift posts, reels, and more that circulate around the globe within seconds. For my internship with YOUTHTOPIA in collaboration with Young Founders School, I was interested in how today’s young changemakers harness those kinds of tools to develop ideas into actions. Very few stories encapsulate this new reality better than the story of Maryam and Nivaal Rehman, twin sisters whose combination of their digital creativity and on-the-ground advocacy, showcases how Gen Z is literally rewriting the rules of leadership.
From Village School to Global Platform
The Rehmans’ journey started nowhere near the public eye. “Our activism journey started in a girls’ school in our village in Pakistan when we were 8 years old,” they said. “We learned that the girls there were going to withdraw from school when they reached grade five because they had to work to help their families, so we started to encourage those girls to stay in school and dismantle the barriers they had."
At the same time, Maryam and Nivaal were exploring their mother’s camera gear—taking photos and videos simply because it was enjoyable. Activism and storytelling were developing alongside each other, before the two became one. By the time they reached middle school, they were filming their work and showcasing the story of the girls they wanted to support. The sisters received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award in 2015 for their advocacy in girls’ education, which was an early sign of the power of their voice reaching beyond their village.
Recognition accelerated their momentum, momentum accelerated into a bigger idea: A YouTube channel entitled The World With MNR. “We wanted to bridge the gap between the problems in the world and what could be done to help,” they said. What started as seventeen subscribers evolved into an international digital brand reaching millions each year—a symbol of how a childhood venture, along with purpose, can have worldwide impact.
Building a Community, Not Just an Audience
Maryam and Nivaal never treated their audience like passive spectators. “Transforming our online followers into a real, active community came from the mission from day 1; so when we post or make a video, there are tangible ways to take action so the audience don’t feel apathetic and voiceless after consuming important issues.” From the beginning this directive not to get mired in “slacktivism” (which is usually about the performative action online), their audience was not just liking and sharing, they were volunteering, they were donating, they were advocating with the sisters. They connected emotionally and empowered through storytelling, and they agency by calling their audiences to action- setting the stage for social change and not distraction.
This is the offline ripple effect of online campaigns. Even a finance motivated sponsored social media post is the guard rails for an essential democracy.
Proof of Impact
The sisters’ 2024 campaign around Pakistan’s General Elections shows how digital storytelling can move people offline. “There was extensive pre-poll rigging and barriers to voting,” they recall. They created videos and graphics in both Urdu and English to guide citizens on how to vote and find polling stations. “We ended up reaching millions across the country. So many people shared how our content helped them vote on election day.”
At a time when democratic processes face obstacles worldwide, their campaign demonstrates how young voices, armed with creativity and smartphones, can safeguard civic participation.
Sisterhood as a strategy
Underpinning the initiative is a relationship that they haste to point out is both pragmatic and personal. “We may disagree on every single point; that is what makes our work special,” they said to me, “Nivaal designs and edits, and Maryam does the research and has community interactions. When we get together we brainstorm, critique, and edit our thinking right before it goes to the dinner staff.”
Their collaborative process shows how social change leadership doesn’t have to be organized in some hierarchical way, and that sibling banter and shared vision plan, and become the vehicle for transformation.
The Hidden Cost of Visibility
But their achievement comes at a price. “I think staying on top of everything. Burnout, and trying to sustain momentum while navigating school and work has been a struggle,” they reflected. Coordinating a global team across time zones can be hectic. And addressing seriously sensitive human-rights topics invites an entirely different challenge: backlash. “We’ve received threats, thousands of hate comments, and hate messages,” they said, especially on issues related to Kashmir, or any other contested topics.
To them, knowledge is the best defense. “The best thing we can always do when there’s hate is to be well-informed of the issues we’re raising awareness for,” they shared. Their education—undergraduate and postgraduate studies—provide them with real facts to fight misinformation and to recognize real critique from outright hatred. But their experiences bring forward a reality that every digital activist must. The internet increases both support and backlash, and the importance of resilience is just as important as the number of people you reach.
Leadership Without Permission
Despite these challenges, Maryam and Nivaal see a larger change happening, “Young people really are changing what leadership looks like,” they stated. “By drawing attention issues they believe in & calling out regimes for their failures and sharing concerns has had a direct affect on policy decisions and has put pressure on governments to care.”
They also caution against increased censorship with governments and tech companies increasing restrictions on online speech. Despite this, as both of their experiences show, leadership today is no longer determined by age or title. It is realized through creativity, credibility and perseverance. A smartphone and a story have as much power as a podium.
A Formula for Change
When asked what they tell aspiring changemakers, the sisters share a simple formula: Talent + Cause = Change.
“If young people find one talent that they believe they have or can develop, and combine it with a cause that they care about, they can take action in a creative, effective and sustainable way,” they say. Their own path—pairing a passion for storytelling with the cause of girls’ education—proves the formula works.
What I Take Away
The hours I spent researching and engaging with Maryam and Nivaal have transformed the way I view activism. Social media can be superficial, yet if done with motivation and commitment, it can be a launching point for effective impact. Their journey demonstrates their post is often never the end, but only the start of engagement.
For Gen Z, leadership is not something you inherit; leadership is something you create. The Rehmans’ story—from a village classroom to an international platform impacting elections—confirms the future of activism will be led by those that choose to share stories, build communities, and leverage digital reach into impact.
The next leaders may never step behind a podium, but they will have to choose a path—and with one upload, the world will come along for the ride.