The Rise of the Term “Gen Z stare” on Social Media

The phrase “Gen Z stare” exploded as the latest TikTok trend and on other social media platforms, with countless viral memes capturing the moment when younger workers display a blank stare at a customer, manager, or colleague, rather than offering the traditional service-industry smile and greeting as a natural response. The trend gained mainstream traction in July 2025 when major publications like Fortune and the New York Times began investigating what appeared to be a widespread communication crisis among the youngest generation entering the workforce. What started as a social media phenomenon quickly became a workplace concern, with managers and business leaders lamenting what they perceived as a lack of customer service etiquette, undeveloped soft skills and a general disengagement from professional norms.

The internet community reframed this neutral expression as evidence of generational lazyness and sparked heated debates about whether Gen Z could even function in professional environments. By late 2025, the “Gen Z stare” has become shorthand for everything managers believed was wrong with Gen Z employees, from communication issues to poor work ethic to resistance to workplace culture expectations.

What Is the Gen Z Stare?

The Gen Z stare is typically described as a vacant, unresponsive, or neutral facial expression that members of Generation Z (born 1997-2012) display in situations where verbal communication or a visible emotional response would traditionally be expected. Rather than greeting a customer with a smile, answering a manager’s question with enthusiasm, or showing engagement during a meeting, a young person would simply stare back with a blank expression, often appearing confused or disengaged, especially to the older generations. This appearance has been observed in retail environments, restaurants, offices, and classrooms, often occuring in response to simple questions about products, services, or basic interactions that the previous generations handled with practised charm and small talk.

For some, the Gen Z stare refers to a “freeze response,” while others compare it to the absent stare one might give while scrolling through social media. This (non)expression has become a symbolic representation of generational differences: older generations interpret it as rudeness and laziness based on a lack of social skills, while Gen Zers often describe this action as simply a refusal to perform false positivity in situations they find inauthentic. The stare is neither aggressive nor particularly conspicuous; rather, it is remarkably quiet, which is precisely why it confuses and frustrates those unfamiliar with this communication style.

Digital Upbringing Shaping Gen Z’s Communication Style

Unlike previous generations, who practised face-to-face communication daily and later adapted to digital platforms, Gen Z did it the other way around: learned digital communication first, followed by in-person interaction. This peculiar development of events led to communication conveyed through visual elements, such as emojis, memes, and short video clips, rather than through facial expressions.

The digital-first upbringing has created a communication style characterised by directness, brevity, and a preference for visual communication over verbal explanation. Gen Z tends to get straight to the point, viewing small talk and performative pleasantries as inefficient and dishonest. They are uncomfortable with the theatrical elements of customer service, such as forced smiles and scripted greetings. Their digital-native brain struggles to compute a response when asked an obvious, illogical, or inauthentic question. That puts their blank stare as their default setting, a pause while they process a communication norm that feels foreign to their experience.

Why Does It Happen?

The Gen Z stare doesn’t emerge from a single cause, but rather a confegence of psychological, developmental, and societal factors that have shaped this generation’s communication patterns and workplace expectations.

Social Anxiety and Development: Pandemic Isolation and the Loss of Face-to-Face Practice

The COVID-19 pandemic created a completely vulnerable situation for Gen Z, who were going through the critical transition to adulthood precisely when face-to-face interaction became dangerous and restricted. Between 2020 and 2022, millions of people from this age group experienced school closures, remote learning, social isolation, and the elimination of informal social practices that historically build confidence in face-to-face communication. A new norm has emerged: video calls replaced in-person conversations, and screens mediated nearly all human connections. ​All of this led to staggering findings: an average Gen Zer spends almost 7 hours a day on screens, excluding academic or professional activities. The social anxiety in these circumstances becomes inevitable, and the numbers confirm it.

Generational Shift: The Rejection of Performative Positivity and the Demand for Authenticity

Baby boomers were taught to “smile through the stress,” and Generation X perfected the art of maintaining composure regardless of circumstances. Gen Z, however, make a conscious choice to show up honestly. Rather than forcing a smile or enthusiasm they don’t feel, they opt for a neutral expression that reflects their actual emotional stress. What managers interpret as disengagement is, for many Gen Z workers, an act of self-protection and a demand for a more authentic workplace.

Quiet Quitting Link: Low Achievement Priority and Resistance to Boomer Expectations

When younger generations encounter workplaces that demand emotional labour, expect constant enthusiasm, and fail to recognise their worth beyond productivity metrics, they withdraw, not dramatically, but subtly. They show up, do their job, and offer nothing more. This phenomenon is called Quiet Quitting, and it is closely connected to the Gen Z stare, by stating: “I will be present, but I will not perform for you.” Their interconnectivity showcases value-driven resistance to workplace norms that Gen Z finds fundamentally misaligned with their priorities.

Where the Gen Z Stare Shows Up in the Workplace

The Gen Z stare doesn’t occur in isolation. It appears across multiple workplace contexts, disrupting interactions that previous generations handled with automatic courtesy, small talk, and visible enthusiasm. Understanding where it manifests helps managers and colleagues recognise the pattern and respond constructively rather than defensively. From client-facing roles to internal team dynamics, the stare has become a recurring source of friction that affects productivity, relationships, and workplace culture alike.

  • Meetings and presentations.
    Gen Z employees often respond with careful listeningm but minimal facial feedback and verbal affirmation. Also, they deliver information in a flat, emotionless tone that older colleagues may misinterpret as a lack of confidence or care.
  • One-on-one feedback conversations.
    They don’t shift their expression when managers discuss their areas of improvement. Gen Zers sit in silence as they process the criticism, practise emotional regulation, and struggle to formulate a response that feels authentic rather than performative.
  • Customer service interactions.
    In retail and hospitality settings, the stare has sparked customer complaints and management frustrations as traditional service expectations collide with Gen Z’s preference for authenticity over performance.
  • Team collaboration.
    During collaboration, Gen Z team members often prefer asynchronous communication, such as messages, emails, and online documents. When placed in collaborative settings, they may also appear withdrawn or simply not interested because small talk can be exhausting. This attitude may create tension in multi-generational teams.

The Impact of the Gen Z Stare on Workplace Dynamics

The Gen Z stare may seem like a minor communication quirk. Still, its effects ripple through workplace culture, creating friction, miscommunication, and genuine stress for managers and older colleagues who struggle to interpret its meaning.

Misread as Disinterest and Lack of Engagement

The most immediate impact of the Gen Z stare is profound misinterpretation. A neutral expression is read as apathy; a pause is interpreted as defiance; active listening without feedback is perceived as complete disengagement. Managers begin to assume the worst: that the employee doesn’t care about the job, isn’t listening, or resents authority. This assumption necessitates micromanagement due to a fundamental breakdown in trust. The Gen Z employee, in turn, feels hypervigilant and more withdrawn, creating a cycle where the initial misunderstanding deepens into genuine disengagement.

Miscommunication and Tension Across Generations

When the previous generation interprets a blank stare as rudeness, and the next generation views forced enthusiasm as inauthentic, miscommunication becomes inevitable. Bosses might notice a lack of motivation when, in fact, the young person working for them is practising emotional regulation. Colleagues might assume a Gen Z team member doesn’t like them when the coworker simply prefers written ommunication to small talk. When an entire generation is perceived as difficult, resentful of authority, and poorly skilled at interaction, the workplace becomes fractured.

Less Small Talk, More Straight to The Point

Gen Zers see casual conversations as inefficient and inauthentic. They want to know the purpose of a meeting before attending, and prefer written agendas to spontaneous discussions. From a Gen Z perspective, this is highly professional: clear, purposeful, and respectful of time. From an older manager’s perspective, it feels cold, impersonal, and transactional. It leads to unnatural relationship-building, more formalised mentoring, and the loss of valuable informal knowledge transferred through hallway conversations. Casual team bonding through sharing complaints or personal stories is also impossible, leading to the establishment of only transactional relationships rather than building and maintaining a cohesive community.

Managerial Stress & Burnout from Difficulties Connecting with Younger Staff

The issue with managerial burnout isn’t that Gen Z workers are inherently complex, but rather that managers feel they lack the skills and time to connect with, motivate, and communicate with employees who operate under fundamentally different assumptions about work. The fact is that Gen Z requires more time and resources than previous generations, which adds to the workload and creates resentment, particularly in companies already stretched thin. Managers need to micromanage more frequently, provide feedback more oftenm and adapt their communication style constantly, and it all adds to the burden. The dreadful result: skilled, experienced managers leaving the companies, accelerating the brain drain that happens when generational divides occur.

How Employers and Managers Can Respond Effectively

Addressing the Gen Z stare requires a shift from judgment to understanding, from assumption to clarification, and from one-size-fits-all communication to flexibility and intentionality.

Avoid Assumptions

Understanding the stare requires context, not conclusions. Abandon the assumption that a blank stare equals disengagement. Instead, view the stare as a signal to ask clarifying questions: “Are you following what I’m saying?” “Do you have questions?” This simple awareness check turns a potential conflict into an opportunity for successful communication. Some Gen Zers will say they are actively listening; others will admit they’re anxious or uncomfortable; and maybe some will even acknowledge they didn’t understand but were too nervous to say so. The key is recognising that interpretation is not information, and the stare alone doesn’t reveal anything without additional context.

Clarify Expectations

Communicate explicitly about workplace norms and communication preferences. Many Gen Z workers weren’t taught explicitly that older generations expect following professional standards, such as visible enthusiasm, frequent eye contact, and small talk, as signs of engagement. Be progressive, be proactive, and articulate them directly. These clarifications replace assumptions with understanding and give Gen Z employees the information they need to adapt their behaviour without abandoning their authentic communication style completely. The goal isn’t to force Gen Z to perform in ways that feel foreign, but to create a shared language that both generations can understand.

Don’t Equate Silence with Disengagement

Understand active listening and processing time. For many digital natives, listening intently may look like having a completely neutral face, because they process information and formulate responses more slowly than previous generations, particularly in face-to-face interactions where they experience social anxiety. They may need silence to think, or prefer to respond in writing rather than spontaneously. Managers could adapt by asking: “Would it help if I sent you these questions in an email so you can think about it?” or “Take a moment. I know this can feel sudden.” These small acts of compassion transform an interaction from confrontational to collaborative.

Encourage Multiple Communication Styles

Leverage technology, written communication and varied formats. Gen Z thrives when companies offer multiple communication channels and formats. Some of the most engaged Gen Z employees are those who can process feedback via email, collaborate through shared documents, and communicate complex ideas through video or visual presentation rather than having to formulate thoughts spontaneously in a meeting.

Gen Z Stare as a Cultural Shift, Not a Problem

Behind the social media craze and managerial anxiety lies an important truth: the Gen Z stare represents a legitimate cultural shift in how humans communicate and what they value in colleagues’ interactions. Rather than seeing it as a deficiency or weakness that needs to be corrected, future-oriented companies recognise it as a signal pointing to where the modern workplace should evolve.

The Gen Z stare is, in many ways, a rejection of the emotional labour that sustained previous workplace cultures. By refusing to perform enthusiasm they don’t feel, and by offering neutral expressions instead of false smiles, Gen Z workers are essentially saying: “I will be professional, competent, and engaged, but I won’t pretend to be happy if I’m not.”

This profound shift challenges companies to ask themselves:

  • Are we creating work environments where people can succeed without constant emotional performance?
  • Are we building trust through authenticity rather than theatre?
  • Are we valuing mental health and genuine connection alongside productivity?

If visible enthusiasm is no longer a reliable indicator of engagement, companies must develop sophisticated ways of assessing employee commitment:

  • Are they completing their work?
  • Are they responsive to feedback?
  • Are they developing their skills?
  • Are they contributing ideas?

As digital natives flood offices, forward-thinking leaders are encouraged to lead the change, fostering inclusive dynamics where stares spark strategies, not sighs. On the contrary, employers who ignore this new reality risk increased quiet quitting and alienation of top talent in the near future. In other words, the Gen Z stare is a warning light on your company’s dashboard: ignore it, and you risk a breakdown; engage with it, and you unlock a far more honest, sustainable workplace.