Rick Rosner describes noticing the stereotype of the “Gen Z dead stare,” where young adults avoid verbal replies to ordinary interactions. He recounts asking gym users scrolling on machines, “How many sets do you have?”, sometimes receiving only a silent two-finger signal. While acknowledging many encounters remain normal, he wonders whether reduced face-to-face responsiveness reflects preference, habit, or technology’s effects. The vignette invites a larger question: is minimal speech an emerging trend or situational impatience?