If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you’ve probably come across a video about the Gen Z stare. People are saying that Gen Z has a very specific, blank expression when interacting with others, especially in public with strangers or at work. It's hard to tell if the stare is one of dissociation, annoyance, or confusion.
There are thousands of videos and memes about the Gen-Z stare. You’ll see creators pretending to be Gen Z customer service workers staring blankly during a conversation, and taking a while to respond with deadpan emotions.
Outside of customer service, people are arguing that it happens outside in normal situations where they should be responding, and don't. "As a server that is also gen z YES yall do this. I greet a table full of gen z and ask if they want drinks and they just sit there staring at me like I’m an alien," one person commented on a viral video.
Of course, as with any generational behavior, the reactions have been mixed. Some older millennials and Gen Xers have jumped in with their theories, many of which boil down to they grew up with iPads and don’t know how to communicate off social media. "The state is like a weird mix of confusion/disgust/irritation, and it being their first time outside," reads a top comment on a viral video.
"It's a result of poor socialization and a decline in social skills in general. My guess is it has a lot to do with most of us being chronically online and I just think the pandemic made it even worse," another wrote. "I'm a teacher. I see the Gen Z stare every day. It's legit almost impossible to tell if anything you're saying is getting through."
Some members of Gen-Z have even turned on each other, saying it's the younger Gen Z. "As an older Gen Z, the younger Gen Z absolutely do this," one of them wrote. "’Im an older Gen Z and a bartender. When they do the Gen Z stare to me I do it right back and we stand in silence until they eventually talk. It’s like two wizards battling," added another commenter.
Gen-Z's defense
But Gen Z, which is categorized by anyone born after 1997, has done a pretty good job defending itself. “Gen Z stare,” but it’s actually just us processing how to respond to something ridiculous, "one person commented on a viral TikTok. “It’s the ‘are you deadass?’ stare - but politely,” another said.
They've posted their own videos sharing some of the most ridiculous questions they've been asked while working in customer service, and have been pointing out that some customers are rude first.
Others have argued that the stare is actually a defense mechanism and a way for them to remain neutral and unbothered in situations that don’t deserve a full emotional reaction. "It’s us actually thinking before we speak," one person explained. "The gen z stare" is literally just us having self restraint and not blowing up on these customers," read another comment.
Have you experienced the Gen Z stare?