Mrs. Darcy Castro had her final class for the day. She was teaching PEMDAS to her Grade 4 pupils who were much more interested in waiting for the ring of the school bell than learning which arithmetic operation comes first.
In her given example, Mrs. Castro calculated that 9 times 9 equals 81. Thinking nothing of it, she made the big mistake of subtracting 14. And as she wrote the final double-digit answer on the whiteboard—all hell broke loose.
Suddenly, her students activated like sleeper agents. Waves of up and down hand gestures spread throughout the classroom, accompanied by chants that were loud enough to echo through the hallways.
“Six-seven!” the children shouted in unison.
Nonsense at its finest
As Mrs. Castro questions whether her 20-year experience in education was worth it—she, alongside many teachers, parents, and adults, struggle to find sense behind the 6–7 craze, and why it provokes quite an elated, unhinged reaction for the younger generation.
The simple revelation is this: it's nonsense. And the pointlessness of it all is what makes it so fun and enjoyable.
Imagine if the 100-peso bill replaced Manuel Roxas with Vice Ganda, a situation that is so ridiculous, weird, and random that it becomes funny. 6–7 is a primary example of hilarity in absurdity, a joke with no punchline.
While the term is definitely shallow, between the two numbers lies a much broader implication on social interaction, human behavior, and language than one might think.
6 isn't afraid of 7 anymore
Even if 7 ate 9, it’s now an inseparable companion of 6. And undoubtedly, the catalysts of such a duo are the digitally-native youth of the world. Generation Alpha and Generation Z to an extent, use 6–7 as a peculiar form of connection.
The students in Mrs. Castro's class have given it social meaning. According to Cynthia Gordon, a linguistics professor at Georgetown University, it's the process by which we collectively interpret someone or something based on symbols and values, like how we assume a person is rich when they wear Gucci or own the latest iPhone.
Gordon notes that in the case of 6–7, it's a way of belonging. Kids feel like they're “in” on the joke, a part of a group that “gets it”—providing an avenue where children understand and relate to one another.
Lightning round!
Words devoid of context are not a new phenomenon, from “Kilroy was here” in the 40s to “Deez nuts” jokes as early as the 90s, a post on Medium notes that kids, with all their creativity and imagination, have always conjured up delightfully vague slang from generation to generation.
The only catch is, in an era where the internet has now dominated modern life, what were once word-of-mouth phrases are being rapidly fired across social media platforms and For You pages.
Brainrot terms such as “skibidi”, “sigma”, and of course 6–7 quickly latch onto daily vocabulary in mere weeks or months, when it could've taken years before. What we're seeing is the accelerated, speedy communication of language by algorithms and digital technology.
A rhythmic flow state
Of course, what is slang without its infectious catchiness? Ryann Sutera, a licensed speech-language pathologist, remarked that trending phrases have certain phonological features such as their rhythm or expressiveness that make it satisfying to say.
Being numbers that are also next to each other, 6–7 has that clean rhythmic sequence and appeal that results in kids repeating it all the time, and for adults to be almost driven to insanity.
The beauty of absurdity
If we take a deeper psychological look, we humans have a limit to our reasoning and rationality. The world around us can be daunting and rigid at times, and for children, who are newly learning social norms and structures at home, school, or on their devices—it gets overwhelming.
That’s why even the silliest of phrases like 6–7, and utter nonsense can be kids’ inadvertent way of finding relief and rebellion from a very analytical world—a defiance against all logic through unbridled whimsy and joy.
Yes, it is that deep, but perhaps what our youngsters are subconsciously telling us is that it doesn't have to be that deep—life can be enjoyed even if we don't understand, even if it doesn't make sense, even if it is absurd.
Instead of considering retirement, Mrs. Castro finds a way to add those two numbers into the subject curriculum and in her classes.
“Six-seven!” she exclaimed, as the rest of her pupils followed suit.
Written by Josaiah Immanuel Canton, Insight PH
Josaiah Immanuel Canton, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
