Current Trends Explained: What is Group 7?

It’s called spooky season, and there’s nothing scarier than realizing how disconnected you’ve become, so let me throw you a lifeline with an explanation of the week’s trending youth topics. This week, everyone is talking about being part of a completely arbitrary online group, planning Halloween costumes that few people over 30 will understand, and trying on “historically accurate” clothing from 2005.

What is “Group 7” on TikTok?

This week, everyone on TikTok is posting about “Group 7.” Here’s what’s happening: On October 17, 26-year-old singer Sophia James did a little social experiment to promote her new single, “So Unfair.” She released seven videos featuring the song to see which one would gain the most popularity and reach. The seventh went viral, to the tune of more than 75 million plays. And then it took off, with more than 600,000 videos ultimately published under the Group 7 tag.

In the original G7 video, James says, “I don’t know what that says about you. But you’re in Group 7.” People have started to define what being in Group 7 means to them – even if it’s random – and listing the qualities that Group 7 members are expected to possess. According to this video, the members of Group 7 love each other, “we laugh, we share, we watch videos until the end”.

While many TikTokers view their membership in Group 7 as a joke, a growing (and rather sad) portion of Group 7 seems convinced of its importance. That they were chosen. The desire for a sense of belonging is palpable. There is also the idea that if all members of the group follow each other, it would mean “never having to find a normal job”.

But that won’t be the case. Follow chains are not new to the Internet and they don’t work. What will actually happen is that the algorithm will eventually decide that people are tired of their feeds being filled with group 7 videos and will stop their spread. In a few weeks everyone will be saying, “Remember that weird “Group 7” thing? This is the inevitable life cycle of Internet memes.

HBO Max adds “six seven” category

Speaking of arbitrary number-based memes, the slang word of the year “6-7” continues to grow and spread in unexpected ways, including on streaming platform HBO Max, which added a “Six Seveeeeen” movie category to its service.

The phrase means nothing, which makes a “6-7” film difficult to define, so Max decided to take the easy route by including films with “six” or “seven” in their titles. The films in the collection include expected entries like The sixth sense, Sevenand the sixth and seventh Harry Potter films (Six days seven nights is unfortunately not available on HBO Max, and also, you probably forgot it existed anyway). Aside from the low-hanging fruit, there are also some inspired choices, like Akira Kurosawa’s. The Seven Samurai and that of Ingmar Bergman The seventh seal. Like all “how are you, my comrades” attempts to co-opt youth slang, the HBO stunt is boring and tone-deaf, and perhaps a signal that this whole six-to-seven thing is finally coming to an end, but I like the idea that a brain-rotten kid is going to watch The seventh seal and really relate in the soldier’s chess match against death.

Meme-Based Costumes to Watch Out for for Halloween

Even before the Internet, Halloween was a meme holiday, with costumes of pop culture figures topping sales at Spencer’s Gifts every year. But it’s gotten ridiculous in 2025. Look for every other kid ringing your doorbell this year to be wearing an outfit inspired by a popular online trend and that ghosts and Draculas are as rare as Loch Ness monster sightings.

Here are some meme-based costumes that will likely be popular this Halloween:

Laboubu

Dressing up as one of these fashionable toys is a no-brainer, although the effort required to do it well is considerable. Luckily, there are tons of tutorials online like the one linked above.

Lorax Girl

If you’re wondering why so many young women are dressing up as the main character from the 2012 film The LoraxIt’s quite a thing. The costume has become so popular in recent years that it’s getting a legitimate backlash.

Demon Hunters KPop

The flashy outfits from Netflix’s wildly successful animated film are perfect for Halloween, but are likely to elicit the most “what are you supposed to be” responses from older adults.

Jockey Chicken

Like the game that inspired it, The Minecraft movie remains very popular with young people, so look out for performances of the iconic “Chicken Jockey!” stage in costume form on October 31. If you want to do it right, you have to make it yourself, but you can buy a Minecraft Chicken Jockey outfit at Walmart if you want to save time.

Inflatable protest frog

Portland’s ice protests have given rise to a viral, underground hero: the Protest Frog, so look for copycats sporting this iconic costume this Halloween. It’s a good choice for the lazy as it makes a statement without any effort. You can simply buy an inflatable frog costume on Amazon.

Viral video of the week: “try on low-rise jeans”

Warning: This week’s viral video will probably make you feel old. In it, young TikTok user @vintageprincessxoxo tries on “historically accurate low-rise jeans.” She is clearly surprised by the way weak low-rise jeans actually are, but as many older people have pointed out in the comments, the “historically accurate” pair she’s trying on isn’t even that low-cut. “Honey, they are high waisted with double buttons,” points out one user. The comments section is filled with similar intergenerational educational campaigns, with millennial mentors teaching young people about whale tails and the importance of wearing a belt. (“Historically accurate,” though? Ouch.)