Gen Z stare

Meaning

1. A blank, expressionless look given in place of small talk or a greeting.
2. The behavior itself, usually noted in retail, food service, or the classroom.

“I asked the cashier a simple question and got the full Gen Z stare.”

Where it came from

TikToker @meghan.alessi described the behavior in a July 2024 video about Gen Z coworkers. The phrase itself caught on a year later, after a June 2025 post about staring customer service workers got the reply “the Gen Z gaze,” and mainstream coverage followed that July.