Topics: Reddit, TikTok, Viral, Community, Sex and Relationships
A new term has been coined relating to the seemingly gormless look people are being given when asking young workers simple questions, and an expert believes there is a disturbing reason why this happens.
If you've been to a local convenience store, you've likely to have encountered something known as the 'Gen Z stare' after using simple phatic words and phrases, such as 'hi', 'bye' and 'thank you'.
In return for using your manners, you're met with what appears to be a death stare - as if the person behind the counter has checked... of course, it's in relation to those aged between 13 and 28 - us zoomers.
Although not everyone in the grouping behaves in such a manner - I'm just four months shy of being a Millennial and I don't.
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Still, it has become a thing that people are now very much conscious of after the term went viral on TikTok.
Now, taking to Reddit one user stressed how the experience they had with their children's young daycare staff leaves them feeling awkward after each interaction with Gen Z members of the center.
"Truly every time I walk into the classroom, I say hi and get nothing but blank stares back," they explain.
"Our kids are happy there and they do good with them, but every time I say hello they look at me like I have two heads. No I do not have a personal relationship with these caregivers, but I see them weekly as I drop my kids off so they’re all familiar faces at the very least.
"I’m a very introverted and reserved person, so I’m definitely not expecting their time and energy of a full conversation. But I thought a simple hello or acknowledgement of someone entering a room was just part of having good manners?"
Adding: "It leaves me feeling so awkward each time it happens. Is this a new norm or am I just turning into a whiny millennial?"
It garnered thousands of comments, with people accusing zoomers of being 'rude', 'entitled', and even being 'psychopathic', while another harshly quipped that 'they are wondering how you know they are high'.
Well, Gen Z self-help author Tam Kaur believes it is shortsighted to sum the behaviour up as such, and instead she thinks it is a 'symptom of something deeper'.
"We’re the first generation to grow up with our faces constantly on display in selfies, stories, video calls, with everything being scrutinised online," the 24-year-old told the Metro.
"That creates a heightened sense of self-consciousness and a fear of being judged, even in the smallest interactions.
"Previous generations didn’t have to think about how they looked from every angle or whether they sounded awkward saying hello, but Gen Zs do."
Is there something bigger at play?
Well, according to a survey published last year, those in Gen Z reported to having been the most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
It found that 51 percent of zoomers stated that they felt their social skills had declined due to limited in-person interactions, compared to 47 percent of millennials, 37 percent of Generation X and 26 percent baby boomers.
