A seemingly meaningless chant – “6-7” – has become one of the most disruptive and widespread youth trends of 2025, baffling parents, irritating teachers and even prompting jokes from the highest levels of US politics. What began as an internet meme has now spilled into classrooms, churches, fast-food counters and Google Search itself. 

Often shouted when the numbers six and seven are mentioned together, the phrase is usually followed by a rhythmic response of “seven” and a distinctive hand motion that resembles juggling. While it carries no clear definition, its very lack of meaning has helped it spread rapidly among children and teenagers across social media platforms and school corridors.

Where did “6-7” come from?

The chant traces its roots to the song ‘Doot Doot (6 7)’ by rapper Skrilla, where “six-seven” appears as a repeated hook. The track gained traction online through viral clips and memes, many of which featured NBA star LaMelo Ball – whose height is 6 feet 7 inches.

NBA star LaMelo Ball has acknowledged the reach of the “6-7” chant, confirming that children have shouted “six, seven” at him during games and joking that it has effectively become his latest nickname. The meme has also surfaced across other sporting moments, including a viral TikTok from late 2024 in which high school basketball prospect Taylen “TK” Kinney casually reviewed a drink by calling it “six, six, seven”. Together, these seemingly unrelated moments helped create multiple entry points for the trend to spread rapidly across social media.

As the trend moved from music into short-form video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, it detached from its original context. Creators began using the sound for sports edits, reaction videos, pranks and classroom humour, allowing the phrase to take on a life of its own.

Its reach grew so extensive that Dictionary.com named “67” its Word of the Year for 2025, describing it as a “definition-free cultural signal”. Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, told CBS News, “Something that you would have thought would have gone away, it just kept on growing larger and larger, snowballing into kind of like a cultural phenomenon.”

The ‘6-7 kid’ moment that sent the meme viral

The chant’s popularity surged dramatically after a fan-recorded clip from a youth basketball game in March 2025 went viral. The video shows a blond-haired boy – later identified as Maverick Trevillian – suddenly popping into the frame, performing an exaggerated up-and-down hand motion and shouting “six seven!” directly at the camera.

The clip’s chaotic and absurd tone struck a chord with Gen Alpha audiences, quickly circulating across TikTok and other platforms. The boy was soon dubbed the “6-7 Kid”, becoming the unofficial face of the trend as the hashtag exploded in popularity. Media analysis described the moment as “the perfect mix of randomness and brainrot that thrives on social media”, cementing the child’s beaming expression as the defining image of the meme.

Why are teachers banning it?

Educators across the US say the chant has become a major classroom distraction. Students reportedly blurt it out whenever the numbers six and seven appear together, often triggering a chain reaction of chanting and gestures.

Some schools have responded by banning the term outright, with penalties ranging from point deductions to written assignments for students who use it during lessons. Teachers say the unpredictability of the outbursts disrupts learning and makes classroom management increasingly difficult.

The trend has even affected businesses. In-N-Out Burger is reported to have removed order number 67 after teenagers repeatedly screamed the chant when it was called out.

Why kids can’t stop saying it

Experts and parents point to several reasons for the trend’s appeal. The phrase is harmless and nonsensical, allowing children to participate in mild rebellion without real consequences. Its ambiguity gives it a sense of exclusivity, functioning as an inside joke that adults struggle to understand.

Every confused or frustrated reaction from parents and teachers only fuels its popularity. Children quickly learn that forbidden or discouraged phrases carry social power, reinforcing their desire to repeat it.

Parents also acknowledge a familiar generational pattern. Just as earlier generations embraced catchphrases from television or pop culture, today’s children are navigating a hyper-connected world where trends spread instantly and globally.

Google joins the joke

The meme’s influence has now reached Silicon Valley. Google has added an Easter egg to its search engine: typing “67”, “6-7” or “6 7” causes the results page to bounce briefly, mimicking the chant’s hand gesture.

The playful feature mirrors Google’s long tradition of hidden jokes, such as “do a barrel roll” or “askew”, and has driven a spike in searches for the numbers – much to the delight of younger users.

JD Vance reacts as the chant reaches politics

Even US Vice President JD Vance has publicly commented on the trend, sharing a personal anecdote involving his five-year-old son.

“Yesterday at church the Bible readings started on page 66-67 of the missal, and my 5-year-old went absolutely nuts repeating ‘six seven’ like 10 times,” Vance posted on X on Tuesday. “And now I think we need to make this narrow exception to the first amendment and ban these numbers forever.”

In a follow-up post, he added, “Where did this even come from? I don’t understand it. When we were kids all of our viral trends at least had an origin story,” according to a report by The New York Post.

Police departments have also responded with humour. Officers in Indiana have handed out fake “tickets” to children shouting the chant, with one deputy joking in a video, “It is now against the law to use the words ‘six’ and ‘seven’ unless using them in a math problem or someone’s age.”