Learn why the "Gen Z Stare" is more than a blank, disengaged expression, why employers can't afford to misread it and what its deeper more serious meaning really holds.

Doug Weaver experienced the so-called "Gen Z stare" while teaching college students. He says it's a symptom of a larger problem.

Karli Mayer, a 25-year-old dental hygiene student in Denver, Colorado, said she will unleash her “Gen Z stare” when something weird, unexpected, or a little “cringe” happens, or when she cannot hear exactly what was said.

The Gen Z stare is an apparent tendency by young people in customer service positions to respond to innocuous statements with a blank look instead of a regular comment.

Some say the Gen Z stare signals poor communication and social skills. Psychologists and generational experts told BI that's not necessarily the case.

Cultural habits shift from generation to generation, and a notable Gen-Z social trait may actually be our fault.

Banarsë compared it to the "Millennial Pause," a brief moment of silence before speaking in a video, adding that today's social quirks go viral more quickly. Banarsë added that the stare is part of Gen Z's move toward authenticity and boundary-setting—where emotional labor isn't automatically performed to meet outdated norms.

A silent stare from Gen Z is triggering rising tension and burnout among managers, many of whom are reconsidering their roles. Seen by some as passive

Millennials had RBF (resting b—h face) and Gen Z, apparently, has the “stare,” which is basically a blank, awkward look that Gen Z gives to people who are being audacious, acting too much, or being downright ridiculous.

What is the "Gen Z Stare?" Older TikTok users say that Gen Z workers often give blank, unresponsive stares. Gen Zers are pushing back.