'Gen Z Stare' Has Gone Viral – But WTF Does It Mean?

I was on TikTok when I first came across the phrase. Digital creator Dante Elizabeth James acted out a scene between a customer and a server labelled as a member of Gen Z (someone born between 1997-2010). “How are you?” their customer character asked, before being met with what the creator termed a “Gen Z stare” – a blank, wordless gawp – eventually accompanied by mumbling, brief responses. It showed what the TikToker thought was a lack of ability or willingness to engage in small talk among younger generations, especially in customer service settings.I’d heard of the “Millennial pause” (waiting too long to talk in a video) and the “lead paint stare” attributed to Boomers. But this was the first time I’d seen the younger generation implicated. Here, Tam Kaur, a self-help expert, author and podcaster who is Gen Z herself, shared her thoughts about the phenomenon.@dantejameesI’m used to being stared at but Gen Z’s hits different♬ original sound - Dante Elizabeth JamesWhat is the “Gen Z stare”? It’s a fixed, unblinking look that some commenters have described as a lack of “basic politeness”, while others on TikTok say it makes them feel as though their custom isn’t welcome.It’s also been split into three categories by one commenter: the “dial up tone” loading look, the “I’m above this interaction” dismissive glare, and the “someone asked me a question, I’m scared” deer-in-headlights freeze. But Kaur said she thinks something else is going on. “What people call ‘The Gen Z Stare’ is actually a symptom of something deeper in my opinion,” the coach said. “We’re the first generation to grow up with our faces constantly on display in selfies, stories, video calls, with everything being scrutinised online. That creates a heightened sense of self-consciousness and a fear of being judged, even in the smallest interactions.“For many of us, especially women, it’s not that we’re rude or disengaged. It’s that we’re navigating social anxiety and burnout from living in hyper-visible digital spaces.” TikToker Andra, a Gen Z member who describes herself as a “Gen Z to Millennial translator”, said in a video that there are “two kinds of Gen Z stares we’re seeing and arguing over”.She says she’s seen some Millennial women describe the blank face of preteens, who are actually Gen Alpha, as being a “Gen Z stare”, but she thinks this is actually a “classic middle school mean girl” face. She also reckons some cases are a misclassified “customer service stare”, which happens when a customer says something “ridiculous”, while other genuine Gen Z stares are simply a refusal to pretend to enjoy social interactions they don’t actually like.It’s not about manners, Kaur suggestedFor Tam Kaur, the issue isn’t so much to do with manners as it is to do with confidence and worry (Gen Z appear to be the most anxious generation).“Gen Z face the real work in building that inner confidence so they’re not afraid to show up, make eye contact and connect, especially in customer-facing roles,” Kaur stated. “Ultimately, the Gen Z stare isn’t always about not having manners, it’s showcasing that some Gen Zs need more time to grow in confidence than previous generations, and that’s something we should make space to support.” For my part, I have to confess I’m with the TikTok commenter who said they’ve never actually seen the “Gen Z stare” in real life – but if you do, perhaps responding with patience to the lockdown generation might be your best bet. Related...WTF Is Aura Farming? Gen Alpha Slang ExplainedDon't PMO – How Much Gen Alpha Slang Do You Know?What Does 'Huzz' Mean? Gen Z And Alpha Slang Explained

Comments

Breaking news

Ukrainian world champion Oleksandr Usyk warns Russia is trying to ‘erase our existence’

Metro

Comments

Similar News

The exact age Gen Z consider you 'old', revealed

Survey: Gen Z Is Not On Board with AI Playing Matchmaker on Dating Sites

Quarter of Millennial, Gen Z Used Family Money to Buy New Homes

Student Loan Update: Gen Z Hit With Highest Payments

Almost half of Gen Z is using AI to help with dating apps

Historic 400-year-old pub reopens after boomer landlords raised £650k to save it through viral TikTok packed with Gen Z slang

Millennials Discover New Gen Z Trait To Mock—but Not Everyone's Laughing

WTF Is Aura Farming? Gen Alpha Slang Explained

Gen Z Men Are Turning Against Porn

The Gen X sex mistakes no one talks about: Divorced at 49, I dared to sleep with younger men - now I understand what we were doing wrong all these years

Nearly Half of Gen Z Get Health Advice From Social Media, Not Real Doctors

Mom asks Gen Z son for help—realizes what's 'not taught' in schools anymore

Gen Z Homeowners Suffer Property Tax Shock

How the Attention Economy Is Devouring Gen Z — and the Rest of Us

Gen Z Has Conflicting Takes on Sustainability, Tourism

Gen Z Woman Opens Carry-On for Flight—Can't Believe What Her Mom Packed

Gen Z Are Living in Fear of Layoffs

Breaking news

Ukrainian world champion Oleksandr Usyk warns Russia is trying to ‘erase our existence’

Revealed: The Washing Machine Temperature A Doctor 'Doesn't See The Point In'

'Volodymyr, Can You Hit Moscow': Trump's Extraordinary Question During Zelenskyy Phone Call

Chelsea's Photo After Trump Gate-Crash Is Being Read As A Master Class In Subtle Shade

Watch live: Defence secretary addresses MPs over secret Afghan evacuation after superinjunction lifted

Inside the painstaking delays and disruption of Constance Marten’s trial

Capital One, Walmart: A look at some of the consumer cases dropped by the CFPB under Trump

Thames Water still in ‘crisis mode’ as turnaround set to take a decade

US citizen granted Russian passport after spying for the Kremlin in Ukraine

Native American teens kayak major US river to celebrate removal of dams and return of salmon

Gov. Gavin Newsom unloads on ‘son of a b***h’ Trump over ‘Newscum’ moniker

Thai police arrest woman who allegedly seduced and blackmailed Buddhist monks

Inflation jumped last month hitting its highest mark in months amid Trump’s tariffs threat

NYC subway service operational but some roads in NY and NJ remain closed after heavy rains

What are the symptoms of measles and how can I get my child vaccinated as cases rise?

Roman era mosaic panel with erotic theme that was stolen during World War II returns to Pompeii

Why the UK is lagging behind other countries on measles vaccinations

US inflation accelerated last month to highest level since February

World's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, dies at 114 after being hit by a car

The Open Championship or the British Open? Even in Northern Ireland it depends on the audience

Inmate escapes prison by hiding in pal’s laundry bag – but it didn’t last long

China’s new secret weapon is a flying ship dubbed ‘the sea monster’

Couple guilty of murdering grandson they subjected to weeks of ‘pain and misery’

Thousands without water across south east London after burst pipe floods roads

Thousands of Afghans brought to UK in secret £850,000,000 scheme after data leak

Here’s why a drought is so bad for you

Revolt On The Left? Starmer's Strategy In Question As Support Grows For Lib Dems And Greens

Stevie Wonder Had The Perfect Response To Rumours That He’s Not Really Blind

Young subway surfers caught travelling on top of moving train by police drone team

Drought declared in the Midlands with more hosepipe bans on the way

Catastrophic MoD data breach that put up to 100,000 lives at risk finally revealed as superinjunction lifted

Aid cuts put vital work to protect millions in Ethiopia from climate crisis at risk

How Melania Trump emerged as one of Zelensky’s key allies in the White House

Inside the bizarre and growing world of plant theft

Equatorial Guinea urges UN to block the sale of a Paris mansion seized by France

Mike Waltz to be grilled over Signal chat saga at hearing for UN role

MoD data breach latest: Defence secretary to address MPs over secret Afghan evacuation after superinjunction lifted

Gov. Gavin Newsom unloads on ‘son of a b***h’ Trump over ‘Newscum’ moniker

India orders airlines to inspect certain Boeing models after Air India crash

Superinjunctions: The draconian court-issued gagging orders used to keep information secret

My court fight to lift superinjunction and expose government’s secret failings

Inside the secret scramble to save lives after MoD data breach

Watch moment Utah wildfire turns into huge fire vortex

Employees at the nation's consumer financial watchdog say it's become toothless under Trump

US tariff of 30% on EU could ‘stop trade as we know it’ – Irish foreign minister

Crimes of necrophiliac killer who abused at least 100 dead women and girls could be repeated, inquiry finds

1,500 tarantulas seized at airport after being smuggled in chocolate spongecake boxes

I burnt my house down and was left homeless as a child, says Italian PM Giorgia Meloni

Top German court rejects case over US drone strikes in Yemen assisted by base in Germany

Why Russian markets jumped after Trump’s tariff threat against Putin

Hong Kong plans to regulate Uber and other online ride-hailing services

Three women arrested after pro-Palestine activists plough van into Edinburgh factory

Most Europeans would support independent Scotland joining EU, poll finds

Teenage boy who died in River Kelvin pictured for first time as tributes paid to 'hero'

Lidl teams up with Alan Cumming in search for new Scottish self-service voice

Donald Trump to meet Keir Starmer in 'oil capital' Aberdeen later this month

NHS Lanarkshire only Scots health board shortlisted as Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards finalist

Former Scots Rolls Royce factory site becomes dump amid relentless fly-tipping

'Vintage' Debenhams watch that 'looks sleek on the wrist' drops from £745 to £82

TV doctor shares little-known way people can slash NHS waiting times