What’s the ‘Gen Z stare’ that has got the millennials and Gen Z fighting in the office?

The Gen Z and millennial war continues. This time, it’s over a deadpan glare that has been dubbed the ‘Gen Z stare’ and has sparked an intense debate on TikTok and other social media outlets.

But this is more than just a trend or phase — it’s a practice that has got managers and employers rattled.

But why is it that a facial expression has got people all heated up? Why is it becoming a topic of concern in the workplace? We get you the lowdown on the ‘Gen Z stare’ and what it means.

What is the ‘Gen Z stare’?

At work, have you ever encountered a blank, expressionless stare from your Gen Z colleague given in place of a greeting or small talk? Have you been at a coffee shop, where the barista has just given you the blankest expression when you have placed your order?

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If yes, then you have been encountered the ‘Gen Z stare’. Many describe it as a fixed, unblinking look which has been described as a lack of “basic politeness”, while others say it makes them feel as though their custom isn’t welcome. Most notice that the ‘Gen Z stare’ is most apparent in the customer service industry.

It is unclear how the conversation started on TikTok, but it seems that it has got everyone talking. Most millennials and older people say that it can be likened to a deer in the headlights — appearing emotionless and passive.

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Others describe the stare as similar to “buffering”, a pause that allows the starer time to understand what has been asked of them.

Thirty-year-old Riley Despot described the time she received the ‘Gen Z stare’. She says that she had taken daughter to a golf lesson with a young teenager. In a video on TikTok, she Despot said she greeted the instructor and thanked her for agreeing to teach her daughter how to play golf. In response, she said she was met with a stare and a “yeah.” “I was just confused after the interaction,” she said. “I did some self-reflection and I was like, ‘Did I do something wrong? Did I not read the social situation right?’”

Meanwhile, many Gen-Zers say it’s their way of responding to someone making a stupid comment or behaving badly. For instance, 19-year-old Efe Ahworegba told the New York Times that the ‘Gen Z stare’ challenges the way customers often treat people in the food service and retail industries. “The ‘Gen Z stare’ is basically us saying the customer is not always right,” she said.

Ever hit 'em with the Gen Z stare? 👀

Producer Julie, our resident Gen Z expert, breaks down exactly why it happens… and what it really means.

Spoiler: It's not (always) shade. 🎥 Watch the moment that has every Millennial rethinking eye contact. #AnnaAndRaven #GenZStare pic.twitter.com/fEKiGpZ3ZU

— Live 93.5 (@Live935fm) July 16, 2025

Why has ‘Gen Z stare’ become an issue at the workplace?

But what does this blank stare have to do with the workplace? Managers and employers are concerned that the ‘Gen Z stare‘ is a result of lack of communication skills. For instance, in customer-facing roles like those in hospitality and retail, communication and interpersonal interactions are essential for businesses to succeed. Customers are less likely to enter a business if they perceive the workers to be unapproachable or disengaged, reducing sales.

It’s also reflective of the generational clash in the workplace. A rising number of mid- and senior-level managers cite “communication breakdown” and “increased emotional strain” as reasons to step away from the job. In fact, a report by education magazine Intelligent.com found that 18 per cent of managers have considered quitting because of the stress of hiring Gen Z. Fifty-two per cent of managers reported Gen Zers causing tensions in the workplace among older employees and 27 per cent of managers said they avoid hiring Gen Z staff altogether.

Is Covid to blame for the ‘Gen Z stare’?

While this debate battles on, some are trying to decipher the underlying reason for it. Some Gen-Z individuals have, in fact, blamed Covid for it. As one X user wrote, “As an early Gen Zer, I haven’t noticed the ‘stare’ so much in early Gen Z but late Gen Z for sure (2007 onward), not sure why. In fact, a lot of people around my age complain about how younger people are lacking empathy and social skills almost entirely.”

“If I had to guess, it’s probably a mix of Covid hitting right when they became teenagers and the dominance of the internet in almost all aspects of life. They were pretty much chronically online the second they were old enough to use a computer.”

A whopping 51 per cent Gen Zers, themselves, note that their social skills declined because of limited in-person interactions during Covid lockdowns in a 2024 Preply survey, compared with 47 per cent of millennials, 37 per cent of Gen Xers and 26 per cent of Baby Boomers.

Others also blame anxiety for the Gen Z stare. Samantha Quigneaux, the national director of family therapy services at Newport Healthcare, told SheKnows, “Disruption of daily routines, social isolation and distancing, academic pressures and changes in methods of learning, uncertainty about the future” are all factors that Quigneaux said “strongly contributed to heightened stress and anxiety levels” among teens. “Those ‘unprecedented times’ also left our youth with disrupted critical social and emotional learning environments,” she explained. “This has led to them having to navigate their teen years and young adulthood with [fewer] skills and emotional resources in our ever-changing world.”

Who do you think is right in this instance — Millennials or Gen Z?

With inputs from agencies