Everything you need to know about the 'Gen Z stare'
Ever ask something at a front desk or a cashier and get nothing but a silent, blank stare in return? You just experienced the famous Gen Z Stare.
Characterized by a blank face—often devoid of emotion or affect—in situations where it's common to give a verbal response, the Gen Z stare has gained traction through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where users began documenting their passive reactions to awkward situations, authority figures, or bizarre moments.
The precise origin of the trend is hard to pinpoint, but several users have made content about the Gen Z stare this July through skits and explainers.
@talking2myphone Ngl I always leave restaurants when I get the gen z stare of a waiter at the front ? #GenZStare ♬ original sound - ???
What does the Gen Z stare mean?
Several users across different generations have offered their interpretations of the Gen Z stare. Does it mean that Gen Z is emotionally disengaged, bored, or indifferent? Or does Gen Z give that blank stare because they "don't know" how to talk to people?
"It's just a blank stare, that's all it is," user @gibsonishere, a teacher, said. "Gen Z is smart and adaptable. They're using it for many reasons. Often we see it in moments where they're reacting to some sort of awkwardness [like with] a question that might be asked and that they just don't know the answer to, or a question that's asked [and they think] that is a ridiculous question."
Meanwhile, Gen Z user @thisisjenae detailed why the youth give that stare in the service industry, recalling how some customers make questionable requests, like asking for no cheese on a cheeseburger.
"I've had a person get mad at me because their iced tea was too cold. I really don't know what people want from me. I'm staring at you because you're dumb," she said.
Dametrius "Jet" Latham, another Gen Z creator, echoed this, saying that the Gen Z stare exists because "most of [people] are clueless."
"Most of the time, it's us trying to figure out if you're for real or not."
@jetty._wetty Some ppl make you question reality #genzstare #genz #customers ♬ original sound - Jet ?
One user in the comments section of a TikTok video shared how they weren't even making bizarre requests—just asking for a table at a restaurant—but their young hostess still stared at them "as if [they] were speaking a different language."
Behind the stare
On top of what the Gen Z stare actually means, the root cause of the trend or behavior has been up for debate.
"I think we are starting to really see the long-term effects of constant digital use, right?" Jess Rauchenberg, an assistant professor of communication technologies at Seton Hall University, told NBC News. "We think of the phone as an appendage to the body."
Author Dr. Jean Twenge, meanwhile, told The New York Times that the COVID-19 pandemic could have affected Gen Z's face-to-face interactions.
"Social skills take thousands and thousands of hours to develop, and adolescence is a critical period for developing social skills. And Gen Z has spent much less time with their peers in person during that critical stage," she said.
Social media users have also discussed whether the Gen Z stare is warranted in certain situations or rude.
"People interpret it as social rejection," Michael Poulin, professor at the University at Buffalo, said to Vox. "There is nothing that, as social beings, humans hate more. There's nothing that stings more than rejection."
The professor also said that Gen Z will "grow out of it" as they engage in more face-to-face interactions.
