PremiumAriana Eunjung ChaWashington Post·7 Sep, 2026 12:00 AM8 mins to readPoking fun at the now-infamous “Gen Z stare” – a silent, blank expression – works because it gets at something real: we are, quite literally, talking less. Photo / Getty ImagesWe’re speaking fewer words every year. Scientists worry what that’s doing to our brains.It’s become a familiar TikTok trope.
A millennial walks into a coffee shop and tries to order something. There are countless iterations, but the basic dynamic is the same: the cashier responds with a gawp, says
