When professor Jessica Maddox asks her University of Alabama students a question in class, she is sometimes met with blank, deadpan looks from the Gen Zers in the room.
The look has become so prevalent that Maddox occasionally resorts to begging her students for a response. It was only recently that she learned this behavior had a name: the “Gen Z stare.”
“When I first started hearing talk about the ‘Gen Z stare,’ and people were kind of explaining what it is, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is what happens to me as a college professor,’” said Maddox, an associate professor of digital media.
While there are several definitions for the stare, the most common meaning is a vacant expression a Gen Zer gives in response to a question. The stare occurs in classrooms, restaurants, at work and more settings.
It often appears judgmental and on TikTok, many Gen Zers — typically defined as those ages 13-28 — have claimed it’s because those doing the staring are dumbfounded or disinterested in engaging with, what they call, “stupid questions.”
“I don’t think it’s a lack of social skills. I just think we don’t care,” said Dametrius “Jet” Latham, a TikTok creator and Gen Zer who recently picked up more than 1.4 million views on a video about the topic.
The hashtag #GenZStare, which has been used in about 8,000 videos on TikTok, began picking up steam earlier this month and hit its peak Monday. A search for the term on TikTok revealed videos showing millennials calling out Gen Z, and more videos of Gen Z firing back at the term they appear to find insulting.
Maddox has a theory as to why the “Gen Z stare” has become so pervasive now.
“This [look] very much accelerated after we returned to campus after Covid protocols,” Maddox said, adding that she noticed an “increasing amount of silence” after posing questions to her class in the wake of the global pandemic.
Due to social isolation during the pandemic, many students faced increased mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression. Face-to-face interactions became less common amid social distancing protocols and many schools temporarily switched to remote learning.
Because Gen Zers were socialized during a pandemic, they came of age building relationships on social media, Maddox said. This may have led to the development of unique types of communication skills among those who are 27 years old or younger.
Additionally, because most members of the generation don’t remember a time without social media, they fear anything they say or do could end up being mocked online — or worse, get them canceled.
Some experts say young people deadpanning their elders can be observed as far back as the 1950s and 1960s, with the rise of youth culture around rock and roll, Elvis and The Beatles. The blank stare and other forms of defiance can also be seen in 1980s films, such as Howard Hughes’ ”Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles.”
The latest iteration of this defiance is likely not just a hallmark of dissent, but also a response to social anxiety developed during formative years in isolation.
“I think we are starting to really see the long-term effects of constant digital media use, right?” said Jess Rauchberg, an assistant professor of communication technologies at Seton Hall University. “We think of the phone as an appendage to our bodies.”
Gen Zers also fear being “cringe,” a term they often use to describe other generations that came before them. Intergeneration feuds have long been a core part of platforms like TikTok, and they’re often spurred on by Gen Z. One of the most famous instances of intergenerational spats was the rise of “OK Boomer,” a phrase used by Gen Z and millennials alike to belittle the older generations who they see as out of touch.
It doesn’t stop there. Gen Zers have criticized Gen Alpha, their younger counterparts, for their “blue light stare,” a disengaged nonchalant look those born between 2010 and 2024 use. They also have mocked boomers for what they call the “lead paint stare,” a look that is described as being confused or befuddled by a response to a question.
At one point, there was no greater sin to a zoomer than “millennial cringe.” While some Gen Zers have embraced the label, others still fear it being applied to them.
On TikTok, compilations of “millennial cringe” have received millions of views and thousands of comments from young people mocking what they perceive as millennial behaviors, such as calling dogs “doggo,” or making things like Disney or “Harry Potter” their whole personality.
Psychotherapist Robi Ludwig suggested that the “Gen Z stare” reflects the gap in social skills between members of Gen Z and millennials.
“If it’s a processing thing, it’s hard to imagine someone wouldn’t know how to nod or respond with a smile or just say ‘OK,’ but we may take for granted some of the social skills we have developed over the years because we didn’t have technology to deal with and we didn’t have to be isolated from our peers,” she said.
As people of other generations mock the “Gen Z stare,” many zoomers have grown defensive, posting videos calling out people for their criticism of the trend.
Some younger users online have also clarified what exactly the “Gen Z stare” is and isn’t.
TikTok Santana, who is a member of Gen Z and works as a bartender, said in a video that “the customer service stare is the stare a worker gives somebody for asking someone something f—- stupid.” Whereas, “the ‘gen z stare’ is the lead paint staring that customer service workers receive instead of response to anything.”
Maddox, of the University of Alabama, said that this type of reaction online be exactly what some are hoping for, adding it could be posted as a form of “rage-bait” from creators to farm engagement.
“Internet culture loves a generational feud,” she said.