The ‘Gen Z’ stare explained: This is what millennials have to say about it

There’s a new area of online disagreement between the generations, this time it is in relation to a new term: the ‘Gen Z Stare’.

The phrase has been the subject of conversation between members of Generation Z (born 1997-2012) and millenials (born 1981-1996). As members of Gen Z are starting to enter the workforce, millennials have started to complain of blank expressions and awkward silences when they come face-to-face with the younger generation.

The ‘Gen Z Stare’ is a big topic on TikTok, with countless videos now satirizing the trend. In many the videos, creators produce skits showing themselves in the role of the Gen Z employee, typically in a coffee shop, cafe or restaurant.

“They just look at you like they just saw a ghost,” TikTok user @185dashuaige said. “It is this blank, deer-in-the-headlights stare.”

There is almost certainly a degree of truth to the trend, but is this really anything new? In most interpretations the stare is performed by a young employee, likely in their first customer-facing role. It may even be the first time that they have been required to regularly interact with people outside of a family, education or purely social situation.

With that in mind, it is probably unsurprising that they don’t possess the same people skills as a more seasoned employee, or even simply an older person. Soft skills like communication are key parts of development for teenagers and young adults in their first job, and those awkward pauses are a very common sign of inexperience.

Think back to the gormless fast food worker in The Simpsons, listed simply as ‘Squeaky-Voiced Teen’. His uneasy, awkward persona was identified as a common trope long ago and it remains at least partially true to this day.

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