Kids are spending an average of 70 minutes of their school day on phones, according to research published in JAMA. Most of that time goes to TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. And while they’re scrolling, they’re participating in trends like the “6-7 craze” (a viral phenomenon where kids repeat seemingly “brainrot” phrases as a form of social connection and humor).
The disconnect is that adults see wasted time and declining attention spans, while kids see the digital space where their social lives actually exist.
The Viral Language Kids Speak (That Adults Don’t Get)
The “6-7″ trend started with NBA player LaMelo Ball mentioning he’s 6’7” tall in a rap lyric. Then it became an inside joke. Then it became everything. Kids repeated it in group chats, slipped it into conversations, turned it into a way to signal belonging without really meaning anything at all.
It sounds absurd to adults. But according to Psychology Today research, these rapid-forming language trends serve a crucial purpose: they’re how kids create connection in an uncertain world. When adults are constantly stressed and news feels heavy, nonsense becomes relief. A silly phrase becomes a way to feel in control.
The format also demonstrates sophisticated learning. Research in Adolescent Research Review found that active participation in social media relates to identity exploration among teens. Kids are constantly experimenting with tone, timing, and context. They’re learning cultural literacy in real time, just through a medium parents don’t fully understand.
The Academic Cost Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s the tension: The same platforms fostering that connection are also crushing their grades. A meta-analysis of 44 studies involving nearly 148,000 college students found smartphone addiction negatively impacts learning, with a correlation of r = −0.12. The more students used phones while studying, the worse they performed.
And it starts younger than college. Dr. Jason Nagata, who led the JAMA research, found that 13- to 18-year-olds are using their phones during actual class time when they should be learning. Most schools have policies restricting phone use, but teens are finding ways around them. They’re checking social media, gaming, and watching YouTube when teachers think they’re taking notes.
The apps themselves are designed to be addictive. Kids aren’t choosing distraction over learning because they don’t care about school. They’re fighting technology engineered specifically to hook them.
Why Restriction Alone Doesn’t Work
Most parents respond to these statistics with one impulse: take the phone away. But that misses why kids are drawn to phones in the first place. They’re not just scrolling mindlessly. They’re participating in their social world.
Research on adolescent identity development shows that social media provides platforms where teens build their sense of self through interaction and feedback. When your kid is on TikTok during math class, they’re not just watching videos. They’re often checking whether their post got likes, seeing if friends responded to messages, monitoring their social standing in real time. For teenagers, social acceptance isn’t trivial. It’s everything.
The solution isn’t making phones disappear. It’s helping kids understand the trade-offs they’re making. When they spend 70 minutes on social media at school, they’re choosing temporary social connection over long-term academic success. Both feel important in the moment. Only one actually is.
What Parents Can Actually Do
Start by talking to your kids about what they’re getting from their phones. Not in a judgmental way, but genuine curiosity. Why is “6-7” funny? What happens if they don’t check their phone during lunch? What do they worry about missing?
Then discuss the research. Show them the data on learning outcomes. Explain that phone designers intentionally make apps addictive and that resisting them isn’t a moral failing. It’s a skill that requires practice.
The best solution remains leaving phones home or locking them in pouches at school. But if that’s not possible, help them create their own boundaries. Turn off notifications. Use “do not disturb” during class. Build in phone-free study time at home where the whole family participates.
The Generational Translation
The “6-7 craze” will fade. Another trend will replace it. But the underlying dynamic won’t change: Kids are building their social world online while simultaneously undermining their ability to succeed offline. They’re using rapid-forming language to signal belonging while spending so much time scrolling they can’t focus long enough to actually learn.
Understanding why they’re drawn to phones doesn’t mean accepting 70 minutes of daily school phone use. It means recognizing that effective solutions require more than just saying no. They require helping kids see what they’re trading away — and giving them better ways to get what they actually need.
