Social media: Empty view of young people: What is the “Gen Z Stare”?

When a generation was particularly often in the headlines, then the gene z – roughly speaking, those born from 1995 to 2010. For example, because they are supposed to lack good working morality. Or because it is lazy. Now the generation provides viral conversation again. This time it is about the so -called “gen z Stare”. But what is that?

What is meant is a supposedly rigid, expressionless look that somehow annoyed, almost zombiehaft. The young generation is currently often assumed. As prominent examples, the actresses Jenna Ortega (22, “Wednesday”) or Lily-Rose Depp (26, “Nosferatu”) in many red carpet pose are reminiscent of this “I don’t care”.

Users discuss the rigid look

Allegedly, it primarily wants to notice English -speaking users on social media, the said “gen z Blick” typically occurs in customer contact (with older) – for example when operating in the café or restaurant.

If someone orders a coffee, the young generation at the counter acknowles it with a tidy gap. So the accusation. Sure, that heats the minds.

Many videos are circulating on the Tikok and Instagram platforms in which the gen Z itself takes a position or spreads the view satirically. Many customers are so unfriendly or have so absurd orders that only the rigid view would be left, it says in some clips.

In a video, a user is humorous as if he serves an unfriendly customer. This demands harsh for a milk coffee with cow’s milk, even though it is lactose intolerant. The reaction of the young service to it: an unbeliever, rigid look. Other users in turn attest the younger lack of social skills (through the smartphone) or simply disinterest. Even the “New York Times” took up the topic.

Not scientifically proven

Is there anything about the “gen z star”? And what could be behind it? First of all: According to experts, he is not scientifically proven.

Social scientist Gabriele Rohmann, co-director of the archive of youth cultures in Berlin, considers the rigid expression to be a “cliché and prejudice-resistant phenomenon”. Certainly there are young people who behaved in this way or who imitated the behavior at social media.

“But I would not generally attribute it to an entire generation,” said Rohmann. “We also work with young people every day from this age range and we always find great heterogeneity when we go to a school class or to a youth center.”

Media ethicist: Young generation knows how to stage herself

The media ethicist Claudia Paganini from the University of Innsbruck is also very careful when it comes to the question of whether there is really a rigid look because there is no corresponding data. Paganini, who researches phenomena of media use, considers a possible basic assumption behind the glance.

The young generation had learned to pay attention to its own production in much wider contexts – including in customer contact in the café. “I think it is plausible that the evaluation of which places are publicly and therefore relevant to my behavior has really changed,” she explains.

Poker face in many everyday situations

“Young people not only expect their facial expressions to be relevant if they get to know new people at a party, but potentially wherever cameras can be aimed at them.” They grew up at a time when one can be documented digitally.

Nowadays, any facial expression in public can be photographed, uploaded to social media and then go viral, says the expert. “That is why a certain caution or reservation – a kind of poker face in the facial expression – is quite understandable, I think.”

Not every abnormality directly as “gene ze phenomenon”

In turn, the professor believes that people who grow up strongly with smartphones and new media showed less facial expressions in conversation because they need less in chat. “This is very evolutionary that skills that are no longer relevant at steal. The main problem that I see here is the very short period of time for such a change.”

Between generations there were tension of around 15 years. From Pagani’s point of view is unlikely that the facial expressions between the gene Z and the baby boomers (approximately those born from 1965 to 1979) change so quickly and significantly. She also does not believe that the look is an expression of the emotional cold.

Rüdiger Maas, generational researcher and author of the book “Conflict of the Generations”, also sees a premature classification as a generation -specific phenomenon. “We have to be careful. I warn to perceive any abnormality that someone has discovered in social media as a gene Z-phenomenon”.

And: Apart from that, it can be clarified quickly in case of doubt if you are confronted with a rigid look – even by older generations. Social scientist Rohmann says: “Most of the time it is done with a friendly conversation. You can do a lot with that”.