Gen Z's blank stare is the internet's latest obsession

USA Today

18 hours ago

Ever received an awkward response to a 'Hi how are you?' from a younger neighbor or a deer in the headlights look from a teenage customer service worker?
TikTokers say there's a name for that — the 'Gen Z stare.'
Users on the platform say it refers to the vacant stare young people might give in response to small talk, simple customer service questions or workplace inquiries. Hypothetical skits on the platform mocking Gen Z responses are going viral.
It's sparking a broader conversation about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic technology use, and if Gen Z (the cohort born between 1997 and 2012) lacks communication skills in the workplace and social settings.
What is the Gen Z stare?
The Gen Z stare is a term used to refer to the blank, expressionless look some say is characteristic of young people's interactions. It might manifest as an awkward encounter with a barista or a lack of verbal response from a coworker.
Most of the viral skits portray the stare in customer service interactions, where a Gen Z cashier or customer responds with a blank, wordless stare where small talk would usually fill the void, sometimes as a result of a senseless questions.
"It's literally just exhausted teenagers working part time trying to put up with school while paying bills,' one person commented under a skit with 2.3 million views from TikToker Mark Gaetano, known on the platform as Snarky Marky. 'The Gen Z stare is usually just us being in complete disbelief of what we're witnessing,' says another.
But commenters from other generations argued back that the stare goes beyond the typical customer service blank face.
'We're talking about the stare when anyone tries to have just a normal human interaction with you, like in the flesh, and you guys freeze,' one TikToker posted, "I can't even count to you how many times I've tried to say hi to neighbors walking by that are like in their teens and they just look at you like they just saw a ghost."
More: She's working two jobs and filming it for TikTok: Gen Z's economic reality is going viral
Social skills shaped by 24/7 technology and the pandemic
The videos have sparked intergenerational discourse. Some Gen Zers defended the stare as a response to illogical questions from customers, while others acknowledged it as a reflection of anxiety in social interactions.
And it's possible the stare is the result of Gen Z's social development being hindered during the pandemic. Online school and social distancing during lockdowns influenced how people of all ages navigated in-person interactions and awkward social situations.
Plus, nearly half of teens say they're online constantly, according to 2024 data from the Pew Research Center.
Gen Z, nicknamed 'the anxious generation' by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, is more anxious and isolated than older generations. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy sounded the alarm on loneliness during his term, explaining in a report that young adults are almost twice as likely to report feeling lonely than those older than 65.
There are jokes about every generation's communication skills, from jabs about the millennial pause to boomers' struggles to understand emojis. Whether it's rooted in pandemic-induced social anxiety or changing workplace norms, it's a sign of how young people are engaging with the world around them.
Rachel Hale's role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach her at [e-mail] and@rachelleighhale on X.