The 'Millennial Pause' refers to the brief, awkward silence at the beginning of a video clip, most commonly seen on TikTok and Instagram Reels. This phenomenon occurs because Millennials, having grown up with older digital technology that often lagged, instinctively wait for the recording to start before they begin speaking. The term exploded in popularity in the early 2020s when Gen Z creators began mocking the habit as a 'dead giveaway' of someone’s age. It has since become a staple of generational humor, symbolizing the divide between those who grew up with instant-capture smartphones and those who still remember the 'loading' icon.