Parents may feel reluctant to count to 10 at home, worried about their children’s response to the numbers six and seven.
If this is new to you, you’ve successfully avoided the 6-7 meme. Kudos for your offline experience. It seems revitalizing.
Aura farming? Fanum tax? The most viral internet slang of 2025, clarified
For those online, kids mentioning six-seven has become a regular occurrence. Basically, people are simply echoing six-seven in a particular cadence…and that’s the meme. It’s prevalent now, with a peculiar backstory.
The origin of the 6-7 meme
The meme traces back to a rap song titled “Doot Doot” by Skrilla, in which “6-7” is articulated in a familiar rhythm. Know Your Meme implies it relates to a street in Philadelphia.
Yet, the meme isn’t fundamentally about the track. TikTok’s virality often hinges on sounds, and the song was featured in edits of basketball players, notably 6-foot-7 LaMelo Ball, which became a hit.
As is the case with most memes, the interpretation and application of 6-7 changed. A pivotal moment included a child at a basketball game using the lyric alongside an up-and-down hand gesture, akin to a video game emote, which denotes fun or celebration.
This hand gesture evolved into the typical way children replicate six-seven in real life.
So…what exactly is the 6-7 meme?
Essentially, it’s nonsensical. It’s whimsical. It’s just enjoyable to say. The meme isn’t genuinely about the song, basketball, height, or the actual numbers six and seven. It serves as a reason to be silly. If someone brings up six, seven, six-seven, or 67, you can participate in the meme. Or just do it because it’s entertaining.
We’ve observed at Mashable that TikTok can uniquely shape language. This is especially true among children. Young individuals have traditionally crafted their own collective language, but TikTok accelerates this process. A rap track can connect to a basketball athlete, then a child at an event, and ultimately a new viral catchphrase in no time.
If you notice kids often saying six-seven, it’s probably because everyone else is too. It has now separated from its roots and is simply something to do.
And if it’s bothering parents, don’t be concerned. These trends are temporary. I anticipate it will endure six, seven more months at the most.