Have you ever felt the dread of walking into a store with questions about a product, only to encounter a poker-faced Gen Z shop attendant who looks least interested in customer service? You pluck up the courage to approach them, only to be met with a deadpan stare that makes you feel stupid for asking the question in the first place.

You’ve just been hit with the Gen Z stare — the latest social phenomenon that’s brought the youngest generation in the workforce back in the headlines again. The term refers to the prolonged blank expression that appears on the faces of many teens and 20-somethings when they are asked a question, which they are unable or unwilling to respond to.