By most conventional measures, Jenna seemed engaged during her internship review. But her manager, a woman in her late 40s, could not shake the unease. Jenna had sat perfectly still, her expression blank, making unwavering eye contact without blinking or speaking, like a statue with Wi-Fi.
This is the Gen Z stare. And for millions of Americans encountering it in boardrooms, classrooms, and even on FaceTime, it is both a generational puzzle and an emotional black hole.
The phenomenon, largely associated with those born between 1997 and 2012, is an intense, flat gaze with little to no facial emotion, often combined with still posture and silent listening. It is not confrontational. But it is not passive either. To older generations, it feels like being looked through, not looked at.
Is the Gen Z Stare Intentional or Accidental?
Dr. Elaine Matthews, a psychologist who studies generational communication styles, argues that the Gen Z stare is “a conditioned social defense.” After two decades of digital immersion, this generation has learned to absorb information passively while showing minimal outward emotion.
“Eye contact used to be about warmth or authority,” Matthews says. “Now, it is often used as a barrier—a filter that keeps the self from overexposing.”
In a recent survey of 1,200 managers across the U.S., nearly 61% said they found younger employees less expressive in person than on Zoom. But when those same Gen Z respondents were asked why they maintained a blank expression during meetings, 73% said it helped them “stay focused” or “avoid looking awkward.” That word—awkward—emerges frequently.
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The Awkwardness of Constant Visibility
Growing up with front-facing cameras, surveillance-era schooling, and viral social shame, Gen Z has spent their adolescence both hyper-visible and hyper-anxious. Every glance is a potential screenshot. Every smirk could be meme material. And so, many respond by showing nothing.
This is particularly apparent in classrooms. Sarah (name changed), a 29-year-old high school teacher in Minneapolis, says she initially thought her students disliked her.
“They stared blankly when I taught, no head nods, no smiles,” she says. “But when I asked if they understood, they said yes. When I changed my teaching style, they said they liked it. Their expressions just never changed.”
According to her, it is like teaching to a wall that occasionally takes notes.
Is It Anxiety, Apathy, or Something Deeper?
The temptation is to pathologize it—label the Gen Z stare as a symptom of anxiety, detachment, or even screen fatigue. But Dr. Kevin Walsh, a behavioral neuroscientist, offers a different explanation.
“Gen Z has developed an entirely new neutral face,” he explains. “What boomers might call poker-faced or aloof, this generation calls baseline.”
In psychological terms, facial feedback—the subtle expressions people make while listening or reacting—is decreasing in daily use. With so much of Gen Z’s communication happening asynchronously (texts, DMs, Discord), expressive immediacy is no longer a necessity.
“Why frown when you can send a skull emoji?” Walsh jokes.
A Silent Form of Power?
What if the Gen Z stare is not a glitch, but a strategy?
In an age where everything is watched, commented on, and repackaged, withholding emotion is a form of control. Silence is safer than a slip-up. And in workplace hierarchies, the stare becomes a subtle assertion: I am present, but you do not get access to my reaction.
Amanda, a 23-year-old analyst at a San Diego marketing firm, says she deliberately uses the stare during meetings.
“I’ve learned that if I nod too much, they think I agree. If I smile, they think I’m soft. But if I do the stare, I control the narrative. I’m not cold. I’m calculating.”
This intentional neutrality has parallels in global business cultures, especially in East Asia, where restraint is often a sign of professionalism. But it feels new in the American context, where gregariousness has long been seen as a virtue.
Gen Z Versus Millennials: A Tale of Two Faces
Millennials were raised on emoticons. They overshare. They are apologetic. They smile reflexively during job interviews. Gen Z, by contrast, often stares, says less, and relies on minimalism in both words and expressions.
“When I interviewed a Gen Z candidate, I wasn’t sure if he was interested in the job,” says a hiring manager in Dallas. “He said all the right things but didn’t smile once. I thought he was underwhelmed. Turned out, he was thrilled.”
The difference, according to career coaches, lies in emotional bandwidth. Gen Z’s emotional energy is often conserved—partly due to burnout, partly due to self-protection.
The Internet’s Role: The Zoom Freeze and TikTok Face
One cannot discuss the Gen Z stare without acknowledging how video calls and TikTok have rewired facial norms.
During the pandemic, Gen Z spent hours on Zoom, where any micro-expression could be scrutinized by others—or themselves. Many responded by freezing their faces, learning to suppress involuntary reactions.
Meanwhile, TikTok popularized the “face card”—a term used to describe someone’s ability to hold a camera gaze with little movement or perform expressive neutrality as an aesthetic. The stare is not just a reflex. It is sometimes a performance.
“On TikTok, I can hold one expression for 15 seconds and that gets me 300K views,” says Jamal, a 20-year-old student-creator. “In real life, people call it rude.”
Generational Misinterpretation in the Workplace
This cultural divide has real consequences. In cross-generational teams, the Gen Z stare is frequently misread.
An HR executive in Chicago recounts a case where a manager accused a junior analyst of “attitude” during meetings. The analyst, a 24-year-old recent graduate, was shocked.
“She thought I was being hostile,” the analyst later explained. “I was trying to be respectful and listen.”
The result: a mediation session where both parties learned they were speaking different facial dialects.
What Employers and Educators Can Do
- Don’t assume disinterest
Silence or stillness from Gen Z often means they are processing—not resisting. - Normalize expressive feedback
Ask questions like “Was that clear?” or “Do you agree?” to prompt verbal cues rather than relying on facial ones. - Balance video and written communication
Gen Z thrives in asynchronous formats. Follow up meetings with email summaries or Slack check-ins. - Discuss digital fatigue openly
Many young workers feel pressure to always be “on.” Creating space for passive participation can ease this burden.
Recommended Reading to Understand the Gen Z Stare
To better grasp the psychology and cultural forces behind the Gen Z stare, here are five compelling reads that explore generational shifts, screen-era social norms, and silent forms of power.
1. “The Burnout Generation” by Anne Peterson
A deep dive into how financial instability, social media, and performance anxiety have shaped millennial and Gen Z identities. Particularly insightful on how this stress translates into nonverbal cues like emotional flatness and detachment.
2. “Reclaiming Conversation” by Sherry Turkle
A sobering look at how face-to-face communication is disappearing in the digital age—and what that loss means for empathy, eye contact, and connection. Useful for decoding Gen Z’s preference for filtered interaction.
3. “Quiet” by Susan Cain
While focused on introversion, this book sheds light on the value of silence, stillness, and minimalist expression—traits that often define Gen Z’s interpersonal style.
4. “iGen” by Jean M. Twenge
One of the most comprehensive profiles of Gen Z, based on large-scale data. Explains how this generation’s emotional and behavioral traits differ from previous cohorts, especially in terms of technology and expression.
5. “Nonverbal Communication” by David Matsumoto
A foundational text in understanding how gestures, facial expressions, and silence function across cultures—essential for managers, educators, and parents working with Gen Z.
Are We Misjudging a New Communication Norm?
In truth, the Gen Z stare is not antisocial. It is adaptive. It allows young people to engage without overexposing. It reflects a generation that has mastered the art of observation before performance.
As the job market evolves and digital communication tools advance, employers may have to recalibrate how they interpret presence and participation.
“Young people are paying attention,” says Dr. Matthews. “They just no longer need to show it the way we expect.”
Final Thoughts: A Generation in Silent Dialogue
Gen Z is staring—but not in defiance. They are watching carefully, protecting their emotional privacy, and choosing not to signal everything they feel. In a world of relentless data capture, this might be their quietest rebellion.
Perhaps what looks like disconnection is a different form of connection. One that values internal response over performative reaction.
And maybe, just maybe, the stare is not blank.
It is full of meaning.
