Squeakers is a slang term for young children in online multiplayer games whose high-pitched voices stand out in voice chat, making them frequent targets of trolls.

Where did Squeakers come from?

The term circulated in gaming circles before Urban Dictionary user DJ Amireh posted a formal definition on August 20th, 2006 using a World of Warcraft example.

What does Squeakers mean?

In the gaming sense, a squeaker is a prepubescent-sounding player who shouts profanity and squeaks when agitated, as shown in YouTuber Burnsy's 2011 Black Ops voicemail clip.

How do you use Squeakers?

Posters either upload compilation clips of kids melting down in voice chat or caption image macros about the archetype, with SammyClassicSonicFan's 2013 Sonic rant as a touchstone.

Is Squeakers still popular?

The archetype shifted into self-aware meme territory by 2019, with grown-up former squeakers posting about it on subreddits like r/MemeEconomy.

Squeakers

2006slang termclassic

Published October 25, 2026

Squeakers are young gamers whose high-pitched voices make them easy marks for trolls in online lobbies, especially Call of Duty matches. Urban Dictionary logged a formal gaming definition in August 2006, and by 2015 a reupload of SammyClassicSonicFan's Sonic-fan rant gave the archetype a public face. By December 2019, grown-up former squeakers were posting self-aware memes on r/MemeEconomy about fulfilling their old 'Doin Your Mom' threats.

gaming trolling memes call of duty memes child virality memes character archetype memes

Overview

Clips tagged as squeaker material usually involve audio or video of kids losing control on Xbox Live or PC voice chat, screaming profanity at opponents mid-match4. The joke sits in the gap between a prepubescent voice and adult-level cursing, with trolls deliberately provoking a kid so the eventual meltdown can be clipped and uploaded. Reaction compilations in the Call of Duty voice chat style make up the bulk of the format.

The archetype shifted around 2015 after a reupload of SammyClassicSonicFan's YouTube rants gave the squeaker a face and a personality beyond anonymous lobby voices2. Later, as that same cohort grew into Reddit users, the joke flipped: millennial and Gen Z posters started making memes about their former squeaker selves, including a December 2019 r/MemeEconomy post about a grown-up squeaker finally cashing in his 'Doin Your Mom' promise5.

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Origin & Background

Platform

Online gaming (Xbox Live, PC) / Urban Dictionary (formal definition)

Date

2006

The word existed in online gaming spaces well before it got formalized. On August 20th, 2006, Urban Dictionary user DJ Amireh submitted a definition tying 'squeaker' to a child playing World of Warcraft with a high-pitched voice3. Other Urban Dictionary entries from the same period applied the word to cute girls poked in the stomach or giggling middle schoolers at mall meetups3, but the gaming definition is what stuck.

Call of Duty voice chat was the gathering spot that gave the archetype its specific character. The franchise's mature rating did not prevent younger players from joining lobbies, and their reactions to being killed or trolled made for easy clip bait4.

How It Spread

YouTuber Burnsy uploaded a Call of Duty: Black Ops trolling compilation on March 27th, 2011, which ends with a profanity-filled voicemail from an angry kid and reached roughly 360,000 views over the following decade1. The clip set an early template for the squeaker reaction compilation, with the troll calmly stacking kills while the target got louder and shriller.

The archetype got a new face in 2015 when a reupload of SammyClassicSonicFan's July 15th, 2013 video 'Stop Hating On Sonic' started to spread. The video gathered 2.1 million views over seven years and gave the squeaker a specific online identity, as Sammy's tearful rants about Mario and Sonic fans squeaked and cracked mid-sentence2. His channel turned him into a go-to reference point for the format.

As the original cohort aged into social media, the joke flipped. On December 12th, 2019, Redditor Rose_Dragneel posted an image to r/MemeEconomy about a grown-up squeaker finally following through on his old 'Doin Your Mom' vow, earning around 500 upvotes5.

Timeline

2006-08-20

Urban Dictionary user DJ Amireh submits the gaming definition of 'squeaker,' using a World of Warcraft example.

2011-03-27

YouTuber Burnsy uploads a Call of Duty: Black Ops trolling compilation ending with a kid's profanity-filled voicemail, which later reaches around 360,000 views.

2013-07-15

SammyClassicSonicFan posts 'Stop Hating On Sonic,' a tearful rant about Sonic the Hedgehog fans.

2015

A reupload of SammyClassicSonicFan's 'Stop Hating On Sonic' goes viral, giving the squeaker archetype a specific face. The reupload later gathers 2.1 million views.

2019-12-12

Redditor Rose_Dragneel posts a meme to r/MemeEconomy about a grown-up squeaker fulfilling his old 'Doin Your Mom' vow, earning around 500 upvotes.

How to Use This Meme

Squeakers posts typically center on either audio compilations of young players losing it in voice chat, or image macros riffing on catchphrases like 'doin your mom' and generic Xbox Live threats. A common convention is to pair the squeaky-voice stereotype with a Call of Duty lobby and let the gap between the high voice and the aggressive content do the work.