Greta Cross’s USA TODAY piece unpacks a wave of Gen Alpha slang that’s shown up in classrooms this fall—most notably “6-7,” along with SDIYBT, “clock it,” and the 🥀 dead-rose emoji.

The article’s core message: much of this language is performative and playful rather than semantically meaningful, driven by meme culture and rapid remixing on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Roblox. Educators don’t need to decode deep hidden meanings so much as understand the social functions these phrases serve in student groups—and set clear norms about when playful language tips into disruption or disrespect.

“6-7.” Cross explains that “6-7” spread from Skrilla’s 2024 track “Doot Doot,” then exploded through sports edits (e.g., LaMelo Ball’s 6′7″ height) before mutating into a chant/gesture meme. The key point for schools: it often means nothing—it’s a vibe, a call-and-response, or a way to get a rise out of adults. As the meme cycled, behaviors followed (e.g., circling “6” and “7” on rulers). Classroom implication: respond to behavior, not the number; treat it like any other attention-seeking chant that can derail learning. Frame expectations (when playful banter is fine vs. when it disrupts), and redirect to task.

“You stole my brain rot” / “brain rot.” In current use, “brain rot” is a joking shorthand for content with low substantive value (e.g., mindless scroll fodder). In Roblox’s Steal Brainrot, kids literally “steal” others’ brainrot. Cross’s educator-relevant takeaway: this language is an entry point for media literacy. Rather than banning the term, use it to discuss curation, attention, and how algorithms amplify trends—helping students notice when “rot” crowds out healthier inputs.

SDIYBT. The acronym (“start digging in yo butt, twin”) sounds crude but, as Cross notes, functions mostly as nonsensical copypasta—a dubbed meme line that migrated from a re-voiced SpongeBob clip and resurfaces as a repeatable catchphrase. Guidance: apply your school’s language norms (e.g., profanity/innuendo) consistently, but don’t over-interpret; a calm reminder of expectations usually works better than escalation.

“Clock it.” Cross traces “clock it” (often paired with a finger-tap “mini-clap”) to AAVE and ballroom roots before mainstream drift via reality TV and TikTok. In class, students may use it as a validation cue (“noted/confirmed”). Best practice: acknowledge its social function (agreement/receipts) while steering tone and inclusivity. If it becomes a taunt or exclusion move, coach replacement moves (“let’s document that,” “add evidence to the board”).

🥀 dead-rose emoji. Students deploy 🥀 to signal sadness, heartbreak, or “it’s cooked.” It’s a low-effort mood marker, often ironic. Educators can use it as a quick SEL check-in prompt (“drop an emoji to show how today’s lab went”), then transition students to more precise reflection language.

Classroom Strategies

1. Name the behavior, not the meme. Whether students chant “6-7” or reference SDIYBT, focus on the impact on learning time. A short, neutral script—“Right now we’re in direct instruction; memes are for passing time at dismissal”—keeps adult stance calm and consistent.

2. Channel to literacy/SEL. Turn “brain rot” into a 10-minute mini-lesson on attention economics; use 🥀 as a formative pulse check before moving to sentence stems that deepen reflection.

3. Co-create norms. With students, draft where playful/inside-joke talk is okay (arrival, recess) versus where task language rules (labs, discussions). Post and revisit; celebrate adherence.

4. Teach code-switching. Validate students’ online dialects while practicing audience-appropriate language for academic talk, presentations, and emails.

5. Monitor the line into harm. Some phrases have roots that deserve cultural context; some morph into harassment. Tie responses to existing policies on respectful discourse.

Bottom line: today’s slang cycles fast and often lacks fixed definitions. Your best leverage is predictable routines, explicit discourse norms, and quick reframes into learning—without getting pulled into whack-a-mole semantics.

Original Article

Source: Greta Cross, What does 6-7 mean? Learn this back-to-school slang, USA TODAY (Sept. 4, 2025). Original URL: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2025/09/04/what-does-6-7-mean-l...

------------------------------

Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com