The “Gen Z stare” refers to a blank, expressionless look often adopted by members of Generation Z, particularly in customer service settings. Some have likened the stare to a real-life loading screen as if the Gen Z’er is refreshing their page (ie face) in real time.
Who are Gen Z?
Generation Z refers to people born between 1997 and 2012, so these are people aged between 13 and 28 years old.
When did people start talking about it?
The first mentions of the Gen Z stare began just under a year ago, but the conversation has really taken off in recent weeks with thousands online chiming in with their opinion. Last week Google searches in Ireland for the term “Gen Z stare” more than quadrupled and videos on the topic have racked up millions of views.
Why are people talking about it?
There is debate about the reason for the Gen Z stare, which some say can point to a host of deeper issues. Some dismiss the stare as nothing short of rudeness, while others have linked the stare to a sense of being overwhelmed and a symptom of coming of age during the pandemic.
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Members of Gen Z who work in the hospitality industry say the stare is often simply a neutral response to being asked rude or nonsensical questions.
Recent surveys have found that Gen Z prefer digital to in-person communication and demonstrate higher levels of anxiety compared with previous generations. They often prefer to communicate over social media.
Although there has previously been much debate on social media about some of the characteristics that Millennials share (the generation born between 1981 and 1996), such as the "millennial pause“, this is one of the first instances in which a behaviour characteristic of Gen Z has been identified and discussed in this way.
