Since March, the meme “6-7” has seemingly taken over school classrooms, group chats and the dinner table. A meme everyone thought would fade away like every other trend has instead exploded. So much so that Dictionary.com just named “6-7” the word of the year. It’s now become a debate on whether or not “6-7” has gone too far, or if it’s not that big of a deal. 

Personally I see no problem with “6-7,” it’s a harmless saying. I don’t understand why people get so mad over the phrase when it’s not as inappropriate as things like “that’s what she said.” When explaining the meaning to adults, every child tells them that it doesn’t mean anything. While some parents ask to know the truth because they don’t believe their kids, we all know it truly means nothing.

Sure, I get why some people are irritated. You can’t say 67, or count in sequence, without someone repeating it back to you or doing the related hand gesture. However, it only takes five seconds to say the phrase. Just let it happen then move on with your life. 

Some people are also mad that “6-7” was chosen as the word of the year because it’s not even a word. But that argument doesn’t make sense. Both six and seven have dictionary definitions. While it might be two words for the word of the year, it doesn’t make sense to say it’s not a word. If it really bothers people that much, maybe Dictionary.com can just call them the words of the year, it’d make everyone happy. 

To the people who get annoyed when someone says the phrase, that’s a you problem. It’s not hurting anyone physically or mentally. Besides, like every meme, it’ll eventually fade when people think it’s gotten too old. If you truly want it to die down faster, just stop reacting every time you hear it, because that’s exactly what keeps it alive. 

In the end, “6-7” being the word of the year isn’t some cultural crisis. It’s just a joke people enjoy. Maybe try saying it yourself once or twice, you might realize it’s actually kind of funny, even if it’s for no reason.