A blank, unblinking expression dubbed the “Gen Z stare” has gone viral on TikTok and other platforms, sparking debate over whether younger workers lack basic soft-skills or are simply reacting to awkward interactions with older customers and colleagues. U.S. media outlets and workplace consultants say the meme captures a broader unease about inter-generational communication as the first cohort raised on smartphones enters frontline jobs. Fresh data from Germany suggest the online chatter reflects real tension. The 2025 Gesundheitsreport published by health insurer DAK-Gesundheit finds that 28 percent of employees under 30 encounter conflicts with older co-workers, more than any other age group. Among those working in teams dominated by older staff, the share rises to 44 percent. Job satisfaction among the roughly 8.3 million under-30s in the German labour force has plunged to 26 percent, from 43 percent in 2010, the study shows. One quarter of respondents say generational frictions leave them strongly or very strongly burdened, and 26 percent report depressive symptoms—well above the rate for older cohorts. The report draws on anonymised sickness-absence data from 2.4 million insured persons and a representative survey of more than 7,000 workers. DAK’s chief executive Andreas Storm urged companies to build mixed-age teams and abandon stereotypes, arguing that “the success model of the future is generational diversity.” Employers and career advisers on both sides of the Atlantic say addressing the skills gap behind the “Gen Z stare” could be critical as businesses compete for talent in a tightening labour market.