Gen Z stare?

[senseandsensibility]

Anyone experienced this? CNN just did a whole segment on the "Gen Z Stare" and how it is prevalent on social media. Apparently, though, it is becoming a problem in the workplace where Gen Z employees give customers a dead-eyed stare with some side eye in response to questions.

Have to say this is a new one to me.

[Scrivener7]

1. I've seen it. I've heard a GenZer say she uses it intentionally when she doesn't feel like engaging with people.

I love this particular GenZer, but that kind of pisses me off. She was raised better than that.

[ImNotGod]

2. Our whole country is collapsing around US and this is what CNN is talking about?

well, at least tRump won't sue them over it.

[hlthe2b]

8. Well, I'm pretty sure they don't run the story 24/7 so I'm not sure I'd be that upset about it...

A little occasional diversion among all the horror and anger-inducing stories is not a bad thing IMO.

[senseandsensibility]

9. That's exactly why I posted it, hlthe2b!

99% of my posts are serious and depressing as befitting the times, but even I welcome a diversion now and then!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. lol jesus christ

[FSogol]

4. The next stage is drooling. They spent so much time being entertained by a screen they shut off without it.

[yardwork]

5. My Gen Z stepson does this when he's tired of being lectured.

My Millenial kids did it at the same age.

I feel sure that when I was a teen Boomer I stared straight ahead and occasionally rolled my eyes when I was bored or being lectured. I feel as if I saw this on sitcoms.

I feel sure that my mom did the same in the 50s.

I feel certain that every teenage human has done this since humans began.

[Mariana]

12. You mean this isn't a totally new thing that has never happened before?

[electric_blue68]

39. Yeah, eye rolling came to my mind. Similar effect.

I certainly did that on occasion.

[FHRRK]

45. Thank you, sincerely

Some things are just ridiculous.

With that, don't get me started with counting back change or being able to comprehend why you handed them $11.03 for a $10.43 bill.

But, and it is a big BUTT!, my ass can't spell for shit anymore due to spell check so hard for me to smack down kids who didn't deal with manual cash registers.

[wcmagumba]

6. Gen Z dead stare with some side eye thrown in...my pupper does this too...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YGQ5Mzfd5Wg?feature=share

[Attilatheblond]

10. Priceless to the 10th power

[Grown2Hate]

13. Cute! LoL

[serbbral]

17. Was wondering what stare yall were talking about

After watching the pup stare, which was cute, by the way, hell, forget GenZers, toddlers do that!

[mercuryblues]

42. They need to do that with one eyebrow raised

Or I won't take them seriously.
I taught him that look.

[hlthe2b]

7. I've seen it. It comes off as extremely contemptuous. I've called a couple on it (subtly)--just asking

if everything is okay. They seem clueless about it--or at least the few I've (mildly) "confronted" on it...

I suppose there may a lot of explanations, but...

[mitch96]

14. When I run into a situation like this as they stare at me, I just cross my eyes... or curl a lip or pick my nose...

Breaks the stare every time... and then I laugh....like HA, got'cha...
FeckenEjits..
m

[serbbral]

18. Gross as hell!

[mitch96]

23. Yup, stops the stare in a heartbeat!!! Then I laugh!!! nt

[markpkessinger]

15. I've encountered it . . .

I refuse to dignify it by registering any response at all, and simply ignore it!

[markpkessinger]

16. There is, I think, also a verbal (or non-verbal) equivalent . . .

Last edited Tue Jul 15, 2025, 04:52 PM - Edit history (1)

I've noticed it at work. I'll call the Help Desk (which has a lot of Gen-Z employees) for something. In the past, the kind of back and forth banter would go something like this:

Me: "Hi, this is Mark in XYZ department.
Help Desk rep: "Hi, Mark, this is John. What can I help you with?"
Me: [I then explain why I'm calling.]

Now, it's this:

Me: "Hi, this is Mark in XYZ department.
[Dead silence. No acknowledgment. Nothing]
Me: [I then explain why I'm calling]

It's a little thing, true. But that kind of banter -- just acknowledging someone -- helps to smooth out social and professional interactions. And the lack of it introduces a thoroughly unnecessary awkwardness into the conversation!

[Skittles]

19. if the calls are recorded - and they usually are

they should be fired for such behavior, that is just ridiculous

[senseandsensibility]

20. Yes, I always hear that my calls are being recorded for training

Last edited Tue Jul 15, 2025, 07:06 PM - Edit history (1)

purposes, but maybe not the ones that are between employees? But yeah, that should be part of the training.

[Rebl2]

21. Are Gen Z

Teenagers? Teenagers have done this for many years.

[TxGuitar]

27. Right?

How do people not see that they feel the exact same way about young people now as their parents/grandparents did about them?

[canetoad]

41. I remember doing this

In the 60s & 70s to the 'oldies'.

[Think. Again.]

22. Wow, they really invented something completely and totally new!

We should blame their entire generation for doing something that nobody has ever done in any other generation befor them!

[senseandsensibility]

24. Oh I had that stare DOWN when I was a teenager

and I am anything but a Gen Zer. But to be fair, I think the difference here is that they are supposedly bringing it into the workplace.

[Think. Again.]

25. Plenty have done it in the workplace...

...myself included.

The only real difference here is that cnn decided this was somehow newsworthy over any of the other stuff going on in America that they are not reporting to us.

For instance, has cnn reported anything about the Rockland County, NY vote tally lawsuit? No? But young people are ignoring other people? Shocking.

But I guess we're all supposed to pretend that these are just normal times, nothing to see here, move along.

[Rebl2]

28. 😂

[ZDU]

26. Squirt Bottle

"The same squirt bottle used to remove cats from furniture may be effectively employed into the faces of Millennials with unusual and satisfactory results."

[Rebl2]

29. No then

they would say you assaulted them 🙄

[ZDU]

31. The cats never say anything

[Rebl2]

32. Nah

Cats smarter

[ZDU]

33. Exactly!

[Conjuay]

48. They wait till you leave

And then assault the sofa.
Yeah, we're on to them...

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

49. OK, now what are you employing against the growing CEO-base worker pay gap?

[doc03]

30. It doesn't sound as annoying as "My Bad" or "Dude" nt

[senseandsensibility]

34. I kind of like "my bad"

It's polite and self-effacing. "Dude" I can take in small doses too.

[doc03]

36. Now they have "Hey Dude" shoes, I

ain't their f----g Dude, man. Maybe if Joe Biden would have used Dude instead of man he would have got the gen z vote.

[Celerity]

40. Hey Dude is a 17 year old Italian-founded fashion firm that was bought up by Crocs three years ago.

[Skittles]

37. I like MY BAD too

it's a quick way of taking responsibility

[Polybius]

43. You're definitely not Gen X

[Aristus]

35. Why are they tagging Gen Z with this?

I've seen 'dead-eye' in people of all living generations. I can't count how many times I've gone in to a fast food place, a retail store, or some other business with soul-crushing entry-level jobs, to be helped by some person whose eyes were so devoid of life, you just knew they were merely warming the air around themselves for eight hours until they could go home. I can't say I blame them. The retail, customer-service gulag is not a place you want to do a lot of time. And some people never escape.

[Scrivener7]

46. It's more than a stare. It's a lack of engagement. If they answer the phone, they pick up the phone and

wait for the caller to say hello. If you're checking out, they don't say hello, they don't tell you the total, they don't say thank you when the transaction is done. If you are in a social situation and greet them, they don't respond.

I thought it was lack of social skills till MY very beloved GenZer said she does it when she doesn't feel like engaging. I was a little blown away because it's so rude and she's better than that.

[Coventina]

51. The lack of greeting on the phone REALLY irritates me!

And then they act all pissy when I say, "Hello? Hello?"
How am I supposed to tell if the call went through or was dropped or if I called a wrong number, or?????

I have stopped patronizing businesses over that behavior.

If I owned a small business, I would immediately fire any employee who did that.

[bluesbassman]

38. Try doing that to a drill sergeant in basic training.

Doesn’t end well

[róisín_dubh]

44. I'm an expert at it

Xennial here (‘77). I work in a pub part time. We get everyone from Gen Z’ers to Boomers in. The older folks know what they want and don’t hold me up when I’m busy. The inexperienced drinkers or the young lads often do not.

Some Gen Z folks seem to have the social skills of a damp sponge and will just stare at me when I ask what they want. In return, they get the same dead stare back and I go about serving someone else until they get their shit together to order. No banter, no “I’ll wait”. Nope, you want to play dumb, you either get that in return, get ignored or a snappy Jersey attitude, complete with eye roll. That usually shocks the Brits’ systems.

[Conjuay]

47. You do realize that grouping people by when they were

born is just another form of profiling, right?

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

50. Right?