The rise of memes with no clear meaning, such as the phrase “6-7,” points to a profound shift in how culture is created today. Ideas no longer need real significance to spread — they only need to fit the logic of digital platforms. This phenomenon is no longer confined to phones; it has spilled into everyday language, behavior, and even political messaging.
Details
Examples show that many memes circulating among children and teenagers carry no specific meaning, yet spread rapidly due to repetition on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Their success is not based on value, but on how easily they can be copied and reproduced.
Research data indicates that:
• A small minority of users produces the majority of content
• Roughly a quarter of accounts drive most core activity
• On TikTok, a limited share of users is responsible for nearly all published videos
This creates an environment built on imitation and repetition, where users shift from generating ideas to copying ready-made formats in pursuit of visibility and reach. Over time, these formats move beyond platforms and begin reshaping real-world language and behavior.
Notably, this influence is no longer purely cultural. Government institutions have started using memes in their messaging, signaling that internet logic is seeping into traditionally serious domains. Meanwhile, platform algorithms are increasingly capable of generating new “cultural units” almost automatically by nudging and directing user behavior.
Some describe this condition as “brain rot,” where thinking itself is reshaped to fit pre-made joke formats and expressions — even away from the screen.
What’s Next?
The question raised: whether society can rebalance its relationship with digital culture, as platforms continue to reshape language, thinking, and decision-making.
