Millennial pause

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    Singer Taylor Swift (top) and actress Jennifer Coolidge, both said to include millennial pauses in their videos[a]

    The millennial pause is a barely perceptible pause that is present at the start of some recorded videos, especially on short-form video app TikTok.[1][2][3][4] The practice of including such a pause is generally ascribed to millennials, a group often defined to include people born in the 1980s or 1990s.[5][6][7][8][9][10] The phenomenon is an example of the digital generation gap between millennials and younger generations.[11][12]

    Observation[edit]

    The practice was first observed as early as March 1, 2021, when a TikTok user questioned "why [millennials] pause so long before speaking", and mentioned that they should "hit record and GO".[13][14]

    The term "millennial pause" is attributed to a millennial who posted a TikTok video on November 26, 2021, pointing out that Taylor Swift, a millennial singer, includes such pauses at the start of her videos.[1][15][16][b] Kathryn Lindsay of The Atlantic, a millennial herself, stated that this pause is becoming more noticeable as short-form videos are becoming more prevalent on social network Instagram, instant messaging app Snapchat, and online video platform YouTube.[1]

    Videos by people other than millennials have also been described as exhibiting a millennial pause; Parade reported that singer JC Chasez included one in his TikTok debut video, and James Factora of Them mentioned how actress Jennifer Coolidge included one in "a perfect TikTok" during her debut.[18][19][c]

    Theory[edit]

    It has been conjectured that the reason why people older than zoomers[d] tend to include a pause at the start of their videos is to make sure that the device they are using is actually recording before beginning to say anything.[1][23] In contrast, younger users are said to trust that the devices are working correctly, and begin speaking immediately after the recording begins.[1]

    Another theory for the pause's prevalence is that the habit may have first been adopted when earlier recording devices commonly took a split second before beginning to record.[24] Although newer devices do not exhibit the same delay, this habit has proven hard to break.[24]

    Awareness[edit]

    Becoming aware of the phenomenon has made some millennials notice that they are "getting old".[10] People have also noted that, once they have been made aware that their recordings include millennial pauses, they find their own habit embarrassing, but also have trouble breaking the habit.[24] Some people have stated that, without the pause, the start of their dialogue would be cut off.[25] Users have also stated that, once one is aware of the phenomenon, it is difficult to ignore its presence in a video.[23]

    The phrase has been used untranslated outside of the Anglosphere, including in Brazil,[26] Chile,[27] Denmark,[28] France,[29] Germany,[30] Indonesia,[25] Italy,[12] Mexico,[31] the Netherlands,[32] and Spain.[33][e]

    Millennials online[edit]

    The millennial pause is considered a part of what Lindsay called the "Millennial Internet Era", which also includes social networks Facebook and Instagram, and GIF files used as reactions.[11][12] 20 minutes also mentions instant messaging client MSN Messenger and social networks MySpace, Skyblog, and Tumblr as part of the formative online experience of millennials, noting that these outlets did not specialize in videos.[13]

    When discussing the millennial pause, Junkee also mentioned other online habits often associated with millennials, such as using the word "doggo" or "adulting", applying filters, or zooming in to emphasize a point.[35] The Cut also mentioned a number of other "cheugy" online behaviours, such as using the phrase "I did a thing" or "so that just happened"; being a fan of Supernatural, Doctor Who, or Sherlock; or using a pizza or taco emoji in a profile on the dating app Tinder.[36] The Toronto Star also mentioned using Boomerang[f] or posting photos taken in landscape orientation on Instagram as similarly awkward millennial practices.[38][g]

    One zoomer, whose impressions of millennials are popular on social media, described the online behaviour of millennials as "basically a bunch of silly little nuances strung together to create a personality that is very giddy and excitable about the normal or mundane".[1]

    Gen Z shake[edit]

    On January 18, 2023, a Gen Z user of TikTok posted a video describing how members of Generation Z often start recording their videos right before placing their cameras on a stable surface.[39][40][41] As a result, the video shakes at the start of these recordings before the camera is set down.[39][42] The user dubbed the behaviour the "Gen Z shake", and called it "the Gen Z equivalent to the millennial pause".[39][41]

    Lindsay reported that she has also found videos that begin while the recorder is in the middle of a task, such as finishing a bite of food, so that it may take some time before the recorder actually addresses the audience.[39] She stated that, like the Gen Z shake, doing this gives the audience the sense that the video begins in medias res.[39] Lindsay added that the Gen Z shake is "a performance" rather than an unconscious act, and points out that although this phenomenon, like the millennial pause, could be edited out, neither is.[39] Another social media content creator has theorized that, because zoomers live their entire lives online, the Gen Z shake is an act of rebellion, and is done ironically.[39]

    See also[edit]

    Notes[edit]

    1. ^ The term "millennial pause" is attributed to a millennial who discussed how Taylor Swift included such pauses in her videos.[1]
    2. ^ The social media user actually used the phrase "millennial obligatory pause" in her video post, though the title of her post included the phrase "millennial pause".[17][16] The post also included a snippet from a video in which Swift exhibited this pause before discussing the re-release of her album Red.[17][16]
    3. ^ JC Chasez was born in 1976.[20] Definitions of "millennial" often include people born in the 1980s, but not those in the 1970s.[5][6][7] Jennifer Coolidge was born in 1961.[21]
    4. ^ A zoomer is a member of Generation Z, the generation following that of millennials.[22]
    5. ^ Spanish newspaper El País used a Spanish translation, calling it "la pausa millennial", though it also mentioned the English-language hashtag "#MillennialPause", and used the phrase untranslated in its English-language edition.[33][34]
    6. ^ Boomerang is an Instagram tool that takes a one-second recording and plays it forwards and backwards to create a six-second loop.[37]
    7. ^ Posting photos taken in landscape orientation on Instagram is a practice also attributed to Gen Xers and boomers.[38]

    References[edit]

    1. ^ a b c d e f g Lindsay, Kate (6 August 2022). "Are You Sure You're Not Guilty of the 'Millennial Pause'?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    2. ^ Kelly, Tiffany (13 August 2022). "What the 'Millennial Pause' Discourse Says About Millennial vs. Gen Z". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    3. ^ "Taylor Swift's Getting Funnier". Gawker. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    4. ^ "Tuesday Briefing: What's Behind Angry Protests Against China's 'Deadly' COVID Restrictions". The Guardian. 29 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    5. ^ a b "Millennial". Cambridge Dictionary. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    6. ^ a b Singal, Jesse (May 2017). "Snapchat? No thanks; I'm an Old Millennial". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    7. ^ a b "Definition of Millennial". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    8. ^ Rogers, Hannah. "What is a 'Millennial Pause'?". The Times. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    9. ^ "For My Birthday, '90s Nostalgia and the Gift of Grief Literacy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    10. ^ a b "Growing Old Online". Wired. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    11. ^ a b Lindsay, Kate (18 October 2022). "The End of a Millennial Internet Era". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    12. ^ a b c "Web, The Decline of GIFs is Also That of Millennials". Domani. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    13. ^ a b "Sur TikTok, la " génération Z " se moque sans scrupule des " millenials "". www.20minutes.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    14. ^ "Like why do they pause so long before speaking babe hit record and GO ... | TikTok". TikTok. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    15. ^ "What Is the Millenial Pause on TikTok? The Answer Is Quite Literal". Distractify. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    16. ^ a b c "#stitch with @taylorswift millennial pause (taylor's version) | TikTok". TikTok. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    17. ^ a b Lindsay, Kate. "The Millennial Pause". Substack. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    18. ^ "NSYNC's JC Chasez Joins TikTok, Debuts New Mature Hairstyle". Parade. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    19. ^ "This Is Not a Drill: Jennifer Coolidge Is Now on TikTok". Them. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    20. ^ "JC Chasez Biography". Biography. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    21. ^ "Jennifer Coolidge: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | eTimes". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    22. ^ "Words We're Watching: 'Zoomer'". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    23. ^ a b Marwah, Srishti. "What Is 'Millennial Pause' On Tiktok? Viral Trend Leaves The Internet In A Frenzy". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    24. ^ a b c O'Reilly, Séamas (26 November 2022). "Séamas O'Reilly: I've Been Trying Out New Social Media Sites as an Escape Raft from Twitter". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    25. ^ a b "Viral di TikTok Hari Ini, Apa Sih Pengertian dari 'Millennial Pause'? - Semua Halaman - Hai". Hai (in Indonesian). Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    26. ^ "'Millennial Pause' is the New Talk of Generations". Terra (in Portuguese). 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    27. ^ "Why Millennials Are the New 'Dinosaurs of the Internet': And How Gen Z Mocks Them". Radio Infinita (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    28. ^ "Boomers Used to Take the Brunt, But Now It's a Different Generation". Underholdning (in Danish). 28 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    29. ^ "But What Is The 'Millennial Break' That You Are Probably Taking Without Realizing It?". Konbini (in French). 26 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    30. ^ Willems, Christina (15 November 2022). "Tiktok Phenomenon Explained: What Actually is a "Millennial Break"?". Rheinische Post (in German). Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    31. ^ "Millennial Pause: What Gives Away Millennials on Tiktok?". Universidad Intercontinental (in Spanish). 14 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    32. ^ "So There is a Second Between 'Camera On' and 'Talk', and That is the Millennial Pause". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    33. ^ a b Vázquez, Karelia (30 September 2022). "LMillennials Are the New Oldies of the Internet". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    34. ^ Vázquez, Karelia (3 October 2022). "Why Millennials Are the New Online Dinosaurs". El País English Edition. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    35. ^ "Why Are People Talking About The Millennial Pause?". Junkee. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    36. ^ Cortés, Michelle Santiago. "The Beginning of the End of Millennial Discourse". The Cut. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    37. ^ Constine, Josh. "Instagram adds Boomerang effects as TikTok looms". TechCrunch. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    38. ^ a b "From the 'millennial pause' to the boomerang: Why Gen Z finds these social media habits so cringey". thestar.com. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    39. ^ a b c d e f g lindsay, kate. "The Gen Z shake". embedded.substack.com. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    40. ^ "A TikToker Says 'The Gen Z Shake' Is The Equivalent To The Millenial Pause & Now My Brain Hurts". PEDESTRIAN.TV. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    41. ^ a b "I figured out what's genz equivalent of the millennial pause! ##millen... | TikTok". TikTok. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
    42. ^ "TikTok has realised The Gen Z shake is the latest equivalent to the Millennial pause". UK. Retrieved 4 February 2023.

    External links[edit]

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