Anyone who’s been near a middle school hallway has probably heard kids yelling, “six seven.” It usually comes out of nowhere. The students aren’t necessarily counting anything, yet the number seems to just appear. Just what’s going on? Why does Gen Alpha care so much about this number? And how did it become a meme? Let’s find out.
Where the sound came from
The meme came from a song titled “Doot Doot (6 7)” by the rapper, Skrilla. The song repeats the number quite a bit. That’s all it took for the song to take off. Soon enough, people began taking clips of the 6-7 part of the song & used it on TikTok. They used it for all sorts of videos, including short edits and group chats.
All over social media
The 6-7 meme was originally only on TikTok & Instagram Reels. However, it soon crossed into YouTube Shorts and other social media platforms, although nobody was trying to make it a trend. It just sort of happened.
How? Mostly because the sound was easy to repeat, so users could make it mean whatever fit the moment. Or nothing at all.
The basketball link people keep pointing to
One of the big reasons why the meme became so popular is due to basketball videos. Users would use the “six seven” sound before montages of players making dunks. The connection between the number & player heights made sense to anyone who followed sports. But then the meme outgrew the context. Eventually, it became a sound used for hyping anything, really.
The hand gesture that tagged along
So what does it look like in person? Kids put their palms up & rock side to side, almost as though they’re balancing something. They’ll say the number while they’re doing it. Once a few videos of people doing the dance went viral, lots of other people began copying it.
One of the most popular videos was of the “67 kid.” He yelled the phrase in the middle of a basketball game, and then the video went viral. It gave people a face to attach to the sound. Now, six-seven had stopped being a meme & became something young people could shout with their friends.
What kids say it “means”
Try asking five different kids what “six seven” means. You’ll probably get five different answers. Some members of Gen Alpha say it’s just a hype word, while others say it means “cool” or “let’s go.” It’s just as confusing to older people. A few people claim that it has a more negative meaning related to crime.
However, there’s no clear answer. The only thing that’s for sure is that most younger people like the effect saying the meme has on people.
The classroom effect
Unfortunately, it’s not merely a harmless joke. Teachers have started changing how they run classes just to avoid saying the numbers. A six-minute timer becomes a five-minute one. A group named “Team 7?” It’s now “Group C.”
The main reason is that saying either number usually makes one of the students repeat the number. It doesn’t take very long for the whole room to light up. It causes major disruptions in classrooms as kids start laughing & joking about the number.
Bans & class rules are spreading
Some schools have begun banning the use of either number in the classroom. Teachers have also taken things into their own hands. One Michigan teacher punishes students who disrupt the class with the meme by forcing them to write an essay.
The catch? The essay has to be 67 words long & explain the meme. Repeated infractions mean they have to write an essay of 560 words.
However, the issue is more than the meme itself. The reaction & disruption that it causes in the classroom is the real issue, so principals are asking staff to redirect the students’ attention. They’re being told not to laugh or scold too heavily. It can cause the meme to keep going.
Parents are now looped in
The meme has raised so many issues in schools that they have started emailing parents about the situation. Yes, you’d be forgiven for thinking it sounds ridiculous at first. But the meme started ruining entire lessons. Schools asked families to remind their kids about proper school behavior. That includes leaving the jokes for lunch & after school.
It may be a meme to kids. But for teachers, it’s a major discipline issue & there’s no sign of it easing up anytime soon.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
