Beware the ‘Gen Z gaze': Young service workers' refusal to greet customers is setting off older generations
If you've ever walked up to a cashier or front desk and been met with a silent stare, you've been a victim of the 'Gen Z gaze.'
Talk about the Gen Z gaze has been taking over X, with older generations complaining about how kids these days handle customer service jobs.
In one post with over 1.7 million views, user @pbprot said that they are 'so sick of the new style of customer service where people just stare at you when you walk up to the counter/service desk.'
Advertisement
3 Older generations are accusing young service workers of rude behavior: 'Greeted with a blank stare.'
Javier Díez/Stocksy – stock.adobe.com
'The car service guy saying 'good morning, I'll be with you in a minute' immediately made me start thinking 'wow, THIS is how you run a business,'' they shared.
The following day, @Nordman__ shared a similar sentiment, writing that 'There is a new phenomenon that when you walk into a food place or coffee shop, etc, they just stare at you and don't say anything first.'
Advertisement
In response, a user dubbed that stare 'the Gen Z gaze.'
While it might not seem like a big deal to initiate conversation as a customer, many shared that being on the receiving end of the silence has caused confusion and isn't what is expected from customer-facing roles.
The initial poster, @pbprot, noted in a follow-up post that they don't expect any special treatment, but 'how am I supposed to know I'm talking to the right person, or that the person is ready for the interaction and not working on something else, if I'm greeted with a blank stare?'
Another person shared a time they went to a restaurant and were met with 'The Stare from a hostess (and what really even is their job other than to greet you?).' When they asked for a table for two, the hostess wordlessly led them into the dining room.
Advertisement
'Now — is she showing me to my table? Checking for availability? Quitting on the spot?' the person questioned.
'Why do more and more workers just hit you with the fluoride stare like it's unnatural that a customer would walk into a place of business,' another pointed out.
'At doctors' and dentists', front desk people act like they have no idea why you're there and give a dazed stare like they don't know what a doctor or dentist is,' someone else shared.
'You walk up to a counter or desk and feel like you need to apologize,' one noted.
Advertisement
3 Older generations are complaining about how kids these days handle customer service jobs.
Cavan Images – stock.adobe.com
Naturally, many service workers who are guilty of the Gen Z gaze defended themselves and reminded the internet that they their jobs suck.
'No disrespect, but if you had to deal with the insane amount of absolutely f–king braindead people you've ever met in your life for 8 hours a day 5 days a week you would do this and people have been doing this since jobs as a concept were invented,' one person wrote on X.
However, many rejected the notion that just because the job isn't great doesn't mean you shouldn't be greeting customers.
'I remember the first time a friend told me she didn't think customers were 'owed' friendliness. Just a mind-boggling mindset,' one person shared, 'And it's so insidious, I really don't think people realize they're infected with it. Work is so much better for everyone if you're making an effort!'
'It's just mass entitlement. Everyone is suddenly entitled to everything and they're mad that they have to work those jobs and can't have everything handed to them,' another said.
'I had a lady ask to hug me because I was so nice, and she said it made her so relieved to not deal with negativity for once. I was just being normal!' a fellow customer service worker shared. 'The quality of service is so pathetically low now. It pisses me off so much since I've done these jobs and know there's no excuse.'
Advertisement
'They're extremely coddled people who think they have nothing to lose because they don't like their job,' the user who coined 'Gen Z gaze' added.
3 Some blamed the Gen Z gaze on events such as COVID-19 and the increase in the use of modern technology.
Drobot Dean – stock.adobe.com
This phenomenon could also be linked to the decline of social and verbal skills in Gen Z after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2024 survey from Preply, an online language learning platform, found that 'reduced [in-person] interactions have particularly affected Gen Z, as many were in education during the pandemic.'
Advertisement
'As a consequence of the virtual world, they have missed out on crucial opportunities to both develop and practice their communication skills,' Preply said in a press release.
'This lack of exposure affects their ability to read social cues, engage in spontaneous conversations, and build interpersonal relationships,' Christine Byrne, a public relations executive at Looq AI, told Forbes at the time.
One X user added to this argument, also blaming the increase in use of modern technology.
Advertisement
'In general, Gen Z culture doesn't have a norm for greeting/acknowledging people they don't already know. Their custom is headphones/eyes down until engagement is required,' @lauren_wilford wrote.
'I think this comes from a combination of screen-habituation (chronically staring at something that never 'looks back' at you), social anxiety from lack of practice in the public square, and a new norm around not 'bothering people' (inserting yourself into anyone's social space).'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Catholicism sees major resurgence among Gen Z, with young men leading the revival
Young men are driving a growing surge in Catholicism among Gen Z, as they turn to faith as an answer to loneliness, cultural drift and a search for purpose. A Harvard University study shows that Gen Zers who identified as Catholic rose by 6% between 2022 and 2023, a shift that Father Michael Tidd — headmaster of Delbarton School, a Benedictine Catholic school for young men in grades 7-12 in Morristown, New Jersey — says he has witnessed himself. "We present our students with an experience of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We propose, we don't impose, and they come to us, and that seems to be really resonant with them," he shared with "Fox & Friends" on Thursday. "For the last several years, we have also had students be received into the church, either be baptized as Catholics for the first time or to receive all of their sacraments, because the experience that they have had here… of what it means particularly to be a man in our society, what it needs to be a believing man, a Catholic Christian man, really resonates with our students. And the larger things that you read about in our society about how… what it means to be man, is really a difficult question for a lot of young men to answer. I think our school and the Catholic Church more broadly and the Catholic faith more broadly provide a compelling answer to that." Father Tidd said he sees students responding to that question in a faith-based way "every day." Students at Delbarton come from a variety of backgrounds – some from practicing Catholic families, others from non-Catholic families – but all are presented with what it means to be a Catholic Christian both in the theology classroom and while doing service out in the world. Father Tidd described the school's retreat experiences as a "real game-changer" for students as well as the "common worship" at mass and morning prayer that brings together all students. The sense of community is an answer to disturbing findings like a recent Gallup Poll, which found that younger men in the U.S. were "among the loneliest in the West." More specifically, one in four men under the age of 35 reported feeling lonely the prior day, the data revealed. In a video address last week to the faithful in his hometown of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV sent a message of encouragement to young Americans. "So many people who suffer from different experiences of depression or sadness — they can discover that the love of God is truly healing, that it brings hope," the newly elected pontiff said. Father Tidd suggested that young men affected by loneliness take initiative and find others who share common experiences, dreams, ambitions and, together, work to find answers to questions about meaning and purpose. "That's one of the benefits of coming to a Catholic school, is that we have that structure that if a student wishes to take advantage of – particularly not just in class, but on athletic teams or extracurriculars – when you form those tight bonds, then you can begin to ask those deep questions," he added.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Colleges need more comedy
We live in humorless times, and yet the need to laugh seems more vital than ever. Conversations on college campuses are tense right now, if they happen at all. I have taught on a university campus for close to two decades, but only recently have I started to give some consideration to comedy as a serious source of study. In 2020, when the pandemic hit and teaching went virtual, I struggled to keep my undergraduates engaged. COVID-19 crippled us to the core, and my students' minds were perpetually elsewhere. Eventually, they felt fatigued by doom and gloom. That's when I decided to test out some humor. Never a confident comedian, I initially felt awkward. However, the light-hearted laughter came with patience and time. Having learned from my stepson that many members of Gen Z appreciate puns, I started with verbal irony and progressed from there. Certain jokes didn't resonate — and they still don't — but I have learned over time to roll with the punches. Today, I weave humor into everything and, as an English professor, I find so many promising parallels between jokes and narratives. As the humanities increasingly becomes a target in our data-driven world of deliverables and returns on investment, the study and practice of humor has the potential to enhance and enrich higher education. Humor studies, an interdisciplinary field that extends from literature and writing to business and health care professions, has grown over the past decade or so. A Google Scholar search reveals that 2010 produced many pieces on pedagogy and comedy. Learning through laughter became a prevalent theme 15 years ago, but nothing that I can find considers humorous healing through higher education during our turbulent times on college campuses. Still, humor is a subject of widespread interest among both those in academia and the larger public. As the world welcomes Pope Leo, I came across a New York Times opinion piece by his predecessor titled 'There is Faith in Humor.' Pope Francis argues that laughter is central to living, just as humor humanizes us. The piece also emphasizes the centrality of comedy to Catholic faith, interfaith conversations and social justice. Humor and comedy take courage, of course, and also coincide with creative and critical thinking. Amidst concerns about campus censorship, the study of humor is central to both the liberal arts and pre-professional programs. Students come to my classes believing that serious literature is dry and grim, but my message to them is that deep learning can come from a serious examination of funny narratives and situations. This idea often resonates not only with English majors, but with future business leaders and health care professionals who see laughter as crucial to lifelong learning and their future careers. Allison Beard's 2014 Harvard Business Review piece 'Leading with Humor' convincingly argues that a sense of humor in managers and directors can go a long way to diffusing conflict and leading with conviction. Humor is also tied to human survival, even during the darkest days. Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl writes in 'Man's Search for Meaning' that 'humor was another of the soul's weapons in the fight for self-preservation.' Although Aristotle distinguishes the two in 'The Poetics,' one of the earliest works of literary criticism in the Western tradition, the ancient Greek thinker claims that comedy is never very far from tragedy. Steve Allen, the first host of 'The Tonight Show,' said that 'comedy is tragedy plus time.' Though it may seem challenging, today's times are appropriate for humor. In this age of artificial intelligence, humor humanizes our writing and teaching. Context is crucial, of course, as is sensitivity to language. The next generation of learners can certainly benefit from this focus on lifelong learning through laughter, which in many ways is the freest form of expression. Cara Erdheim Kilgallen is an author and associate professor of English at Sacred Heart University.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Beware the ‘Gen Z gaze': Young service workers' refusal to greet customers is setting off older generations
If you've ever walked up to a cashier or front desk and been met with a silent stare, you've been a victim of the 'Gen Z gaze.' Talk about the Gen Z gaze has been taking over X, with older generations complaining about how kids these days handle customer service jobs. In one post with over 1.7 million views, user @pbprot said that they are 'so sick of the new style of customer service where people just stare at you when you walk up to the counter/service desk.' Advertisement 3 Older generations are accusing young service workers of rude behavior: 'Greeted with a blank stare.' Javier Díez/Stocksy – 'The car service guy saying 'good morning, I'll be with you in a minute' immediately made me start thinking 'wow, THIS is how you run a business,'' they shared. The following day, @Nordman__ shared a similar sentiment, writing that 'There is a new phenomenon that when you walk into a food place or coffee shop, etc, they just stare at you and don't say anything first.' Advertisement In response, a user dubbed that stare 'the Gen Z gaze.' While it might not seem like a big deal to initiate conversation as a customer, many shared that being on the receiving end of the silence has caused confusion and isn't what is expected from customer-facing roles. The initial poster, @pbprot, noted in a follow-up post that they don't expect any special treatment, but 'how am I supposed to know I'm talking to the right person, or that the person is ready for the interaction and not working on something else, if I'm greeted with a blank stare?' Another person shared a time they went to a restaurant and were met with 'The Stare from a hostess (and what really even is their job other than to greet you?).' When they asked for a table for two, the hostess wordlessly led them into the dining room. Advertisement 'Now — is she showing me to my table? Checking for availability? Quitting on the spot?' the person questioned. 'Why do more and more workers just hit you with the fluoride stare like it's unnatural that a customer would walk into a place of business,' another pointed out. 'At doctors' and dentists', front desk people act like they have no idea why you're there and give a dazed stare like they don't know what a doctor or dentist is,' someone else shared. 'You walk up to a counter or desk and feel like you need to apologize,' one noted. Advertisement 3 Older generations are complaining about how kids these days handle customer service jobs. Cavan Images – Naturally, many service workers who are guilty of the Gen Z gaze defended themselves and reminded the internet that they their jobs suck. 'No disrespect, but if you had to deal with the insane amount of absolutely f–king braindead people you've ever met in your life for 8 hours a day 5 days a week you would do this and people have been doing this since jobs as a concept were invented,' one person wrote on X. However, many rejected the notion that just because the job isn't great doesn't mean you shouldn't be greeting customers. 'I remember the first time a friend told me she didn't think customers were 'owed' friendliness. Just a mind-boggling mindset,' one person shared, 'And it's so insidious, I really don't think people realize they're infected with it. Work is so much better for everyone if you're making an effort!' 'It's just mass entitlement. Everyone is suddenly entitled to everything and they're mad that they have to work those jobs and can't have everything handed to them,' another said. 'I had a lady ask to hug me because I was so nice, and she said it made her so relieved to not deal with negativity for once. I was just being normal!' a fellow customer service worker shared. 'The quality of service is so pathetically low now. It pisses me off so much since I've done these jobs and know there's no excuse.' Advertisement 'They're extremely coddled people who think they have nothing to lose because they don't like their job,' the user who coined 'Gen Z gaze' added. 3 Some blamed the Gen Z gaze on events such as COVID-19 and the increase in the use of modern technology. Drobot Dean – This phenomenon could also be linked to the decline of social and verbal skills in Gen Z after the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2024 survey from Preply, an online language learning platform, found that 'reduced [in-person] interactions have particularly affected Gen Z, as many were in education during the pandemic.' Advertisement 'As a consequence of the virtual world, they have missed out on crucial opportunities to both develop and practice their communication skills,' Preply said in a press release. 'This lack of exposure affects their ability to read social cues, engage in spontaneous conversations, and build interpersonal relationships,' Christine Byrne, a public relations executive at Looq AI, told Forbes at the time. One X user added to this argument, also blaming the increase in use of modern technology. Advertisement 'In general, Gen Z culture doesn't have a norm for greeting/acknowledging people they don't already know. Their custom is headphones/eyes down until engagement is required,' @lauren_wilford wrote. 'I think this comes from a combination of screen-habituation (chronically staring at something that never 'looks back' at you), social anxiety from lack of practice in the public square, and a new norm around not 'bothering people' (inserting yourself into anyone's social space).'
