What is the Millennial Pause?

The Millennial Pause is a viral meme and video trend calling out the way millennials pause awkwardly before recording. Here’s the lowdown on what The Millennial Pause is, why it happens, and how Gen Z turned it into a whole vibe online.

What is the Millennial Pause?

The Millennial Pause is That Awkward Second Before Millennials Start Talking in Videos

Meme	Millennial Pause
Went Viral	Mid 2022
Origin	TikTok
Tldr	The Millennial Pause is that short silence before someone starts talking in a video, mostly seen in people over 30. The term started floating around TikTok in late 2021, went mainstream in 2022, and made a full comeback in 2025.
Skibidi Score	6🚽

The Millennial Pause is that quiet split second moment right at the start of a video when someone, usually in their early 30s or older waits before speaking. They hit record, pause for a second, and then start talking. Most of them don’t even realize they’re doing it. They just aren’t sure exactly when the camera starts, so they wait to be safe. It shows up a lot in storytimes, vlogs, or any kind of video where someone’s filming themselves. It’s common with older creators, and once you notice it, you’ll start seeing it everywhere. Gen Z turned it into a meme because it’s such a subtle but telling habit.

Millennial Pause Definition and Examples

The Millennial Pause is When You Press Record and Just… Wait

The Millennial Pause is the short silence at the start of a video when someone hits record but waits a second before speaking. It usually looks like this: they press record, smile at the camera, wait a second or two, then finally say “Hey guys” or start their story.

It’s a tiny pause, but once you spot it, you’ll see it everywhere. It shows up in storytimes, vlogs, tutorials, cameos, basically any time someone’s filming themselves. If you want to see it for yourself, check out the TikTok above. It’s full of examples that perfectly show what the Millennial Pause looks like.

Why Millenials Pause at the Start of Videos

Millennials Pause to Make Sure Nothing Gets Cut Off Out of Habit, and Gen Z Can’t Stand It

Millennials tend to pause at the beginning of videos because they’re not totally confident the recording has started. A lot of them grew up with phones and cameras that lagged, so they picked up the habit of waiting a second before speaking, just to make sure nothing important gets cut off. Most Gen Z creators either start talking immediately or just crop out the beginning. But for Millennials, that little pause sticks around.

People in the comments always ask stuff like, “Why don’t you just trim the video?” and honestly, it’s a fair question. Whether it’s because Millennials don’t know how to crop, don’t notice the pause, or just don’t care, they usually leave it in. It’s not that deep. It’s just how they make sure the first word actually makes it into the video.

Millennial Pause Origin and TLDR

When Did the Millennial Pause Start Catching On?

The term “Millennial Pause” started showing up on TikTok in late 2021. A lot of people point to a video by @nisipisa as the one that really called it out, and while that video helped popularize the term, it likely wasn’t the first time it was mentioned. Still, it gets credit for kicking the conversation off. Even though that video dropped in 2021, the trend didn’t really go mainstream until mid-2022, when people started making videos comparing the Millennial Pause to the Gen Z Shake, a quick camera shake Gen Z does right before they start talking.

The 2025 Millennial Pause Revival

In 2025, the Millennial Pause has made a comeback, this time being compared to another viral term: the Gen Z Stare. The pause is trending again, and everyone’s still arguing about whether it’s valid or just embarrassing.

Millennial Pause TL;DR

The Millennial Pause is that short silence before someone starts talking in a video, mostly seen in people over 30. The term started floating around TikTok in late 2021, went mainstream in 2022, and made a full comeback in 2025.

Millennial Pause vs Gen Z Shake vs Gen Z Stare

The Millennial Pause Walked So the Gen Z Stare Can Run

The Millennial Pause is making a comeback in 2025 because of the new Gen Z Stare trend. The Gen Z Stare is when someone just gives a blank, silent look instead of replying to something dumb or annoying. It blew up, and now Millennials are using it to call out Gen Z for having no social skills. The only reason the Millennial Pause is trending again is because Gen Z is getting dragged for the stare, so they’re just roasting Millennials right back.

Millennial Pause vs Gen Z Shake: Same Energy, Different Generations

The Gen Z Shake is that slight phone shake at the start of a video, usually from setting the phone down or tapping record too hard. Most Gen Z creators don’t even realize they’re doing it. The shake and the Millennial Pause started trending around the same time in 2022, and now they’ve basically become signature moves for each generation. Millennials get roasted for pausing. Gen Z gets roasted for shaking. Neither one is on purpose, but both are dead giveaways for what side of the internet you’re from.

The Skibidi Times Verdict

Is The Millennial Pause Real

The Pause Be Real Fr

The Millennial Pause is definitely real. It’s something older creators do without thinking, like a built-in “is this recording?” check. Gen Z might roast it, but they’ve got their own weird habits too, and they love to troll. At the end of the day, everyone’s awkward online in their own way, and that’s what makes the internet fun. Let the pause live. 🧌

What’s your take? Is the pause relatable or straight-up cringe? Drop your opinion in the comments. We’re ready.