There's a whole category of (genuinely terrifying) science fiction that basically boils down to, "What if the 6-7 meme was evil?"

Reportedly this needs an explanation. If you or your kids have not yet been infected, 6-7 is a meme where all of the kids all over the world suddenly and simultaneously think the numbers 6 and 7 in sequence have cosmic and hilarious significance whenever they appear.

The theme here is that something is taking over the population, characterized by some brand new inexplicable behavior, often spreading memetically, often only in children.

Zero hour by Ray Bradbury is a prime example but he has many stories somewhat like this.

There is No Antimemetics Division most immediately inspired it.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Childhood's End.

We're all scared of what our kids are turning into, or what kids "out there" are turning into even if not our own. We'll believe anything.

It's as primal as things that go bump in the night, but much more relevant, because things haven't gone bump in the night in a long time.

This, the Voice of Honesty would have said was favorable & reasonable; but so lost to all Sense of Honor was this Set of Men, that the smuggling Trade went on as usual, untill at last, with other Coincidents, it brought on the present Rebellion. This Business was so notable a School to teach the Art of tricking & foreswearing, that it became proverbial, “that no Jew could get his Bread in Boston,” whereas in most of the other Provinces there were Numbers of those trading Israelites, & in some of them Synagogues of most elegant Structure. But, here, Circumcision availed nothing. The Uncircumcision was all in all; & it was much to be wondered at, that there were no more Apostates from Judaism, since ye. Religion of an Israelite centers in the Acquisition of Gain, in all its Forms. There were two Jews who had settled in Trade for a short Time in Boston, but they were at last obliged to vail to the superior Sagacity of their Neighbours, & turned out Bankrupts.

I shall next give you a Sketch of some of Mr. Samuel Adams’ Features; & I do not know how to delineate them stronger, than by the Observation made by a celebrated Painter in America, vizt. “That if he wished to draw the Picture of the Devil, that he would get Sam Adams to sit for him:” & indeed, a very ordinary Physiognomist would, at a transient View of his Countenance, develope the Malignity of his Heart. He was a Person of Understanding, but it was discoverable rather by a Shrewdness than Solidity of Judgment; & he understood human Nature, in low life, so well, that he could turn the Minds of the great Vulgar as well as the small into any Course that he might chuse; perhaps he was a singular Instance in this Kind; & he never failed of employing his Abilities to the vilest Purposes.

Umm, actually, the brain is still developing until you're 35, so until that point you shouldn't be able to make any important life decisions.