Meaning of Gen Z stare | Babel Free

Definitions

A blank stare given in response to a question or statement, claimed to be a common behavior of members of Generation Z.

Examples

“When Valerie Jefferson, 23, posted a video about the “Gen Z stare⟳” on TikTok, she did not expect⟳ it to start⟳ a fight⟳. Her video, which documented one interpretation of the meaning of the stare⟳ — the blank look⟳ of someone in a service job who is handling frustrating requests from a customer — unleashed a torrent of intergenerational debates.”

“When professor Jessica Maddox asks her University of Alabama students a question⟳ in class, she is sometimes met with 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⟳."”

“The Gen Z stare⟳ is exactly what it sounds like⟳: it’s a term used to describe⟳ the vacant look⟳ a Gen Zer gives in response to a question⟳ or statement. The phrase has caught fire online and sparked conversation about why younger adults do this.”

CEFR level