What Is The Gen Z Stare? The Viral Blank Look That's Confusing Everyone
Gen Z stare is becoming very popular on social media. It could be described as a blank or empty look that many young people often show when asked a question. This expression happens everywhere, at school, restaurants, work and other places, which leaves older people confused or annoyed. You might wonder what exactly the Gen Z stare is and why so many people are talking about it. In this article, we will explain what this looks means and why it has caught so much attention online.
It's not clear where or how the Gen Z stare trend began, but it has quickly caught people's attention and sparked a lot of discussion online. Every generation has habits, but there might be some clear reasons behind the blank stare. Two big reasons are the internet and the pandemic. When people mostly talk or connect through phones or screens, it can affect their real life behaviour. Gen Z is the first generation to grow up fully using apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. That might be the reason why they sometimes look unbothered during face to face talks.
Jessica Maddox, a professor at the University of Alabama told NBC News, 'When I first started hearing talk about the Gen Z stare, and people were kind of explaining what it is, I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is what happens to me as a college professor'. This [look] very much accelerated after we returned to campus after Covid protocols."
During the pandemic, people had to stay apart and follow social distancing rules, which made face to face interactions rare. Many schools were taking online classes, so students got used to staying home and learning through screens instead of meeting others in person.
Jess Rauchberg, an assistant professor of communication technologies at Seton Hall University, added, 'I think we are starting to really see the long term effects of constant digital media use, right? We think of the phone as an appendage to our bodies. If it's a processing thing, it's hard to imagine someone wouldn't know how to nod or respond with a smile or just say 'OK,' but we may take for granted some of the social skills we have developed over the years because we didn't have technology to deal with and we didn't have to be isolated from our peers."
Whether it's a real way of showing their emotions or just a passing trend, the Gen Z stare has definitely made people on social media talk. It has also started a bigger conversation about how different generations communicate.
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First Published:
July 21, 2025, 17:47 IST
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