By India McCarty
Are you a parent to a Gen Alpha kid who can’t stop repeating incomprehensible slang terms? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
“Every day there’s just another set of terms,” Camille Nisich, parent to a 14- and 15- year-old, told NBS. “They’ll just be talking, and my husband and I are kind of like, ‘We’re not sure what that means.’”
So, what makes Gen Alpha and Gen Zers repeat nonsensical slang?
“Some phrases are just amusing to say,” Carolina Estevez, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist at SOBA New Jersey, told Parents.com. “They may have a rhythm or sound that sticks in your head, or be part of something funny or viral that everyone is talking about. It is also a way to connect with what is trending or what their friends are into.”
Those phrases can include nonsensical (to adults) phrases like “ballerina cappuccina,” “sus” and “six seven.”
While some of these slang terms are easy to decode — “sus” is shorthand for “suspicious” — “six seven” is a little harder.
“Six seven” is a phrase that blew up on TikTok, but no one can really seem to explain what it means. Some say it means “so-so,” while others think it refers to a tall person, or basketball terminology.
“I think the point is that it makes no sense,” one tween said in a video about the phrase.
@jesse.jn7 Ig:Jesse.jn7 #tk #ote #67 #fyp #viral #basketball #hooper #relatable #funny
Related: Is Your Kid Speaking Italian? Nope. It’s Just Gen Alpha’s Latest Brainrot.
Ryann Sutera, CCC-SLP, a licensed speech-language pathologist, agreed, telling Parents.com, “What’s changed today is not the behavior itself, but the speed, frequency, and global scale at which digital content is consumed and repeated.”
Both Estevez and Sutera emphasized that this behavior is largely normal and parents shouldn’t be too worried. However, if the habit changes or intensifies, they recommend seeing a trusted healthcare provider or child therapist, as it could be indicative of a neurodivergent condition.
“If the repetition seems extreme or tied to anxiety or frustration, it is okay to be curious and talk to a pediatrician or therapist,” Estevez said. “In general, though, it is a quirky kid behavior that usually passes with time.”
TikTok has definitely led to a faster spread of these slang terms and phrases, but as the experts said, your child’s repetition of these words isn’t dangerous — it’s just a way for young kids to connect with each other on a level adults can’t.
Read Next: Why This TikToker Translates the Bible into Gen Z Slang
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