US EditionCapitol Ink | The Gen Z Stare
JUL 21 – A 2024 survey found 51% of Gen Z report social skill declines due to COVID-19, contributing to workplace communication challenges and tensions with older generations, managers say.
- The 'Gen Z stare,' a blank, glassy-eyed expression often seen in customer service, has sparked an intense social media debate recently.
- This stare emerged as many youths grew up during the 2020-21 lockdowns that disrupted their social and emotional development at crucial stages.
- Critics link the stare to workplace awkwardness and underdeveloped social skills amid pressure and anxiety, while some defend it as a generational marker or response to poor treatment.
- A 2024 survey found 51% of Gen Z report social skill decline due to limited in-person interactions, while 18% of managers considered quitting over workplace tensions with Gen Z.
- The debate implies that the stare reflects deeper issues about youth development, workplace integration, and changing social norms following pandemic-era challenges.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Older generations are put off by the 'Gen Z stare.' Here's why it's not necessarily a bad thing.
Everyone's talking about the "Gen Z stare." There's even a debate between Gen Z and other generations on what the phenomenon is. Gen Z says it's their customer service look when a customer asks them a ridiculous question like "is there ice in the iced tea," but people who have experienced it report otherwise. According to older generations, they're referring to the younger folks as simply staring at customers with a neutral face instead of greet…
Is it a sign of a lack of social practice, or is it a response to the stupidity of the elderly when young people send a blank stare instead of a response? The debate between generations has exploded online.
Don't get offended by the 'Gen Z stare'
The latest complaint made against Generation Z is that its members now frequently assume a blank, glassy-eyed expression of indifference and boredom. The “Gen Z stare”, as it’s known, has become so prevalent among those born between 1997 and 2012 that it’s now a source of habitual frustration and annoyance among their elders – the millennials who coined this term. According to a Times of London report over the weekend, young parents now continua…
Is the customer always right? Not according to Gen Z. The term “The Gen Z stare” is circulating wildly on Tiktok right now and has started a real generational fight. Apparently my generation is not very good at dealing with difficult customers. The look everyone is talking about is about an expressionless face: Tired eyes, neutral expression, no smile – something m...
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- 58% of the sources lean Left
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