The Gen Z stare - have you noticed this?

[Mreader]

I have . Curious as to y’all’s thoughts and if you’ve noticed this.

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[Spring Azure]

I don’t think this is reserved for Gen Z. Lol. People seem less engaged overall.

 

[stracci2000]

This is funny!
I don't hang around Gen Z people too much, but I can see how this happens.
These kids were raised with cell phones in their hands.
Too much screen time, not enough human interaction.
Are these the youngsters who can't read longhand? Haha

 

[Mreader]

This is funny!
I don't hang around Gen Z people too much, but I can see how this happens.
Too much screen time, not enough human interaction.

I’m around young people all the time because of my profession. I think Covid really did a number on people in more ways than just the illness – they never really came out of isolation.

 

[dk168]

I don't even know the definition of Gen Z, so no!

DK

 

[stracci2000]

I’m around young people all the time because of my profession. I think Covid really did a number on people in more ways than just the illness – they never really came out of isolation.

You're probably right.
The COVID years slipped by like a blip on my radar. Time is moving very quickly for me now that I'm older...But to young people, it must've been an eternity.

 

[MissGotRocks]

In my day, you were taught to speak when someone spoke to you. Having good manners was very important. As the generations passed and entitlement rose, manners were simply not taught in the way they were in former years. Staring at someone blankly who has just spoken to you is extremely rude IMO.
In a setting as an employee, you would think employers would demand that level of interaction. First impressions matter. I have encountered that stare in stores and counter restaurants. It is as if you have spoken to them in another language, and they don’t know how to respond. My mother would have called it rude and ill mannered! Good parenting shows!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I also roll my eyes at generational critiques. Nothing is new.

 

[Rockdiamond]

And there’s all sorts of language issues. My teenage boys use language that …. It’s weird. I used to talk like that. But that was in the ‘70’s.
Some of the stuff they say…. So shocking. Maybe that’s by design

 

[Matata]

So in order to avoid the stare, should we walk around with cut outs that look like phone screens that we can pop over our heads?

 

[Matata]

I also roll my eyes at generational critiques. Nothing is new.

I'm generation nearly dead and that's my usual expression these days. I have to hold up little emoji flash cards to express interest or emotion.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

In my day, you were taught to speak when someone spoke to you. Having good manners was very important. As the generations passed and entitlement rose, manners were simply not taught in the way they were in former years. Staring at someone blankly who has just spoken to you is extremely rude IMO.
In a setting as an employee, you would think employers would demand that level of interaction. First impressions matter. I have encountered that stare in stores and counter restaurants. It is as if you have spoken to them in another language, and they don’t know how to respond. My mother would have called it rude and ill mannered! Good parenting shows!

we used to call this kind of 'service' personality plus

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I don't even know the definition of Gen Z, so no!

DK

i was about to say
remind me who generation Z is ?

 

[Rockdiamond]

generation nearly dead

HAHAHAH
I wish it were funnier.......just getting out of a chair requires a lot of .....grunting.....

 

[diamondringlover]

my youngest son is a gen Z and I think he was born with a stare...we use to joke about when he was little...its lethal lol....he always gets his way...he is very, very determined (stubborn)....which is coming in handy since he is now running his own business quite successfully at the ripe age of 28, started it at 25!

 

[Bianca201]

I think Covid really did a number on people in more ways than just the illness – they never really came out of isolation.

I agree with this, 100%.

 

[HGar]

I think for a lot of younger people they tend to overthink any interaction. They are so worried of offending anything / anyone, that they pause to run a million scenarios internally before speaking. I have 3 teens. My two sons are a lot more outspoken, my daughter I can see tear herself up to ensure that she is perceived as being non-offensive to any and all.

Me at almost 55, I’m beyond caring about most things. I treat everyone with respect and kindness. I’m friendly and interested but cross me or hurt someone intentionally in front of me and I’ll cut you to pieces.

 

[Lookinagain]

I think for a lot of younger people they tend to overthink any interaction. They are so worried of offending anything / anyone,

This isn't a comment on your kids, but I think you are giving most of them too much credit. I hadn't thought about this being the "GenZ stare" but I've encountered it in stores. I had put it down to the person just either having no personality or no social skills. I'll probably pay more attention to it now, but like @stracci2000 I'm not around them much and like @Matata I'm generation nearly dead.

 

[Lentibulariaceae]

I’m a zoomer (born late 1990s-late 2010s, I fall narrowly into this category).

I’ve absolutely noticed this among peers occasionally. I don’t do it, even though I have pretty nasty social anxiety and “lock up” sometimes, I have trained myself to say “processing” when I do lock up so people know I’m still aware. I’ve been genuinely asked if I’m autistic before for saying hi and responding when someone asks a question because I’m “too friendly.”
I’ve also noticed this with plenty of people who arent zoomers. I do genuinely think that the pandemic made many people drop the veneer of civility that was just hanging on by a thread before.

 

[Lentibulariaceae]

I think for a lot of younger people they tend to overthink any interaction. They are so worried of offending anything / anyone, that they pause to run a million scenarios internally before speaking. I have 3 teens. My two sons are a lot more outspoken, my daughter I can see tear herself up to ensure that she is perceived as being non-offensive to any and all.

Me at almost 55, I’m beyond caring about most things. I treat everyone with respect and kindness. I’m friendly and interested but cross me or hurt someone intentionally in front of me and I’ll cut you to pieces.

This is also 100% correct. Many people my age nowadays are far more concerned with “doing no wrong” than “doing something right.” Because saying something wrong or offensive in any way can get you socially outcast almost instantly. My high school was like this. I actually had a teacher try to fail me because I said something wrong.

After dealing with it for four years I decided to take me and my “privilege” elsewhere. And by elsewhere I mean No ****s-ville.

 

[HGar]

but like @stracci2000 I'm not around them much and like @Matata I'm generation nearly dead.

That’s where our perceptions differ - I see many different age ranges on a daily basis. From 15yo and up - the boys don’t seem to overthink, the majority of the younger women that I interact with do. Until they close in on their late 20’s and 30’s when reality becomes more apparent that no one is perfect and you just have to live your life - and not be permanently offended on behalf of every person in the world.

 

[toomuchB]

*stares*

 

[kenny]

I am THROUGH looking up that Alphabet Generation BS!

I hereby decree everyone stop using this murky annoying code, and return to what was simple, obvious, and perfectly clear ...

Born in the 40s
Born in the 50s
Born in the 60s
Born in the 70s
Born in the 80s
Born in the 90s
Born in the 2000s
Born in the 2010s
Born in the 2020s

Easy Peasy, and not a bit sleazy!

 

[toomuchB]

*stares*

On a serious note: I think this is a cultural thing. I do not live in North America or Europe. I have not noticed this stare phenomenon at all. I am Gen Z and while slightly socially awkward it is in the realm of normal imo and there is no staring issue I have noticed in myself or others my age/younger.

It is interesting to read about the stare phenomenon though.

I am THROUGH looking up that Alphabet Generation BS!

I hereby decree everyone stop using this murky annoying code, and return to what was simple, obvious, and perfectly clear ...

Born in the 40s
Born in the 50s
Born in the 60s
Born in the 70s
Born in the 80s
Born in the 90s
Born in the 2000s
Born in the 2010s
Born in the 2020s

Easy Peasy, and not a bit sleazy!

Logical. But absolutely not! I am gen Z even if I was born late 90s. I need to feel youthful, gen alpha are already making me feel old!

This is also 100% correct. Many people my age nowadays are far more concerned with “doing no wrong” than “doing something right.” Because saying something wrong or offensive in any way can get you socially outcast almost instantly. My high school was like this. I actually had a teacher try to fail me because I said something wrong.

After dealing with it for four years I decided to take me and my “privilege” elsewhere. And by elsewhere I mean No ****s-ville.

I totally agree in general about this trend, but not that it necessarily leads to a stare phenomenon at least where I live. I 100% understand and feel the same as you. And we both are fans of benitoite....

 

[tyty333]

I have to tell this story that happened to me a couple of weeks ago...

I go to the drive-thru at McDs (daughter wants a McFlurry).
I order it and pull up to the window. The total is like $2.34.
I handed the person at the window $5.34. The girl at the
window has extremely long fake fingernails. She/we drop
some of the coins on the ground. She looks at me, says, "It's
ok, I don't need any change". (not the reason I was giving her
change, but ok). I'm assuming she is going to give me credit
for the change that was dropped and just give me $3.00 back
(I told her I gave her exact change.)

What does she do? She enters $5.00 as what I gave her. Does not take
into account any of the change I gave her (which some is in her hand and the
other is on the ground). She attempts to give me back $2.76 but also drops
more of it on the ground as she hands it to me. I look at her and...the stare.
Not oops, not I'm sorry, not let me make this right...nothing but...the stare. I
look out my car window at the ground, and guess what? There is a lot of change on
ground. Not just my coins, but other people's change that she has
dropped due to her long fingernails.

I was dumbfounded by the whole experience. I worked fast food in high school
and I'm pretty sure I would have handled it so differently.

Do I just expect too much? What would you have done in this situation? I chose
not to do anything.

 

[kenny]

On a serious note: I think this is a cultural thing. ...

Yes, you're right; it IS a cultural thing ... America's culture of STOOPIDITY!

 

[toomuchB]

Yes, you're right; it IS a cultural thing ... America's culture of STOOPIDITY!

Apologies, I did not mean to imply this at all. Just this phenomenon hasn't been noticed by me where I live.

 

[Mreader]

I have to tell this story that happened to me a couple of weeks ago...

I go to the drive-thru at McDs (daughter wants a McFlurry).
I order it and pull up to the window. The total is like $2.34.
I handed the person at the window $5.34. The girl at the
window has extremely long fake fingernails. She/we drop
some of the coins on the ground. She looks at me, says, "It's
ok, I don't need any change". (not the reason I was giving her
change, but ok). I'm assuming she is going to give me credit
for the change that was dropped and just give me $3.00 back
(I told her I gave her exact change.)

What does she do? She enters $5.00 as what I gave her. Does not take
into account any of the change I gave her (which some is in her hand and the
other is on the ground). She attempts to give me back $2.76 but also drops
more of it on the ground as she hands it to me. I look at her and...the stare.
Not oops, not I'm sorry, not let me make this right...nothing but...the stare. I
look out my car window at the ground, and guess what? There is a lot of change on
ground. Not just my coins, but other people's change that she has
dropped due to her long fingernails.

I was dumbfounded by the whole experience. I worked fast food in high school
and I'm pretty sure I would have handled it so differently.

Do I just expect too much? What would you have done in this situation? I chose
not to do anything.

You were showing your age by using cash I’m amazed that the math was done to be able to even know what to put in the register after the change was dropped. I tried to do this once with somebody where something cost five dollars and I gave them $11 so that I can get a five dollar bill back and it was incomprehensible to the cashier.

I’m Gen X btw and laughing at myself for having my “kids today” moments and shaking my fist at a cloud.

 

[Mreader]

Apologies, I did not mean to imply this at all. Just this phenomenon hasn't been noticed by me where I live.

I would say this is US - greetings are extremely important in Europe (at least in France Italy Spain…for example in France if you don’t say “Bonjour” when you enter a place of business or place and order etc it is considered extremely rude.

 

[Lookinagain]

I have to tell this story that happened to me a couple of weeks ago...

I go to the drive-thru at McDs (daughter wants a McFlurry).
I order it and pull up to the window. The total is like $2.34.
I handed the person at the window $5.34. The girl at the
window has extremely long fake fingernails. She/we drop
some of the coins on the ground. She looks at me, says, "It's
ok, I don't need any change". (not the reason I was giving her
change, but ok). I'm assuming she is going to give me credit
for the change that was dropped and just give me $3.00 back
(I told her I gave her exact change.)

What does she do? She enters $5.00 as what I gave her. Does not take
into account any of the change I gave her (which some is in her hand and the
other is on the ground). She attempts to give me back $2.76 but also drops
more of it on the ground as she hands it to me. I look at her and...the stare.
Not oops, not I'm sorry, not let me make this right...nothing but...the stare. I
look out my car window at the ground, and guess what? There is a lot of change on
ground. Not just my coins, but other people's change that she has
dropped due to her long fingernails.

I was dumbfounded by the whole experience. I worked fast food in high school
and I'm pretty sure I would have handled it so differently.

Do I just expect too much? What would you have done in this situation? I chose
not to do anything.

Did you expect too much? Well, of her, yes.
I don't know what I would have done. Probably the same as you because I would have been dumbfounded that she actually still had some of the change in her hand yet gave you no credit for it.
I wonder if after work she goes out and picks up all of those dropped coins as a tip? I can't imagine that it just sits there.
Seems to me that management should have some idea that this is happening and perhaps they need a "nail code". If you go back and she is working and the same thing happens, I'd probably get out of the car, pick up the change and take it inside and ask for the manager to tell them it wasn't all my change so I didn't want to take it.....(kind of b**chy, I know, but really, what she is doing is unacceptable).