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People Are Sharing Embarrassing Childhood Pics Of When They Thought They Were The “Coolest” (24 Pics)
Back then, everything was different. Remember how you rocked your red-dyed mullet to your sister’s graduation party, thinking every boy there was into you? What about the time your 6-year-old self was convinced you were the main character at the bowling alley? We’ve all been there and felt invincible.
Fast forward to today, and you get that sweet "wut was I tinkin?" cringe just by looking at these childhood photos. And this is precisely what the new viral TikTok trend is all about.
Initially, the TikToker mally_a started going viral with a video featuring funny and cute photos of herself at 6 years old, when she rocked feeling like "the main character." Her TikTok has amassed 5.5M views and sparked a new video trend on social media. Now, people are willingly diving deep into their childhood photo albums, and their findings are just pure gold.
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Bored Panda reached out to Hazel, who posted a TikTok of herself as a 9-year-old “thinking I was being extra by wearing heels by the pool on holiday.” Her video captioned “This still haunts me” amassed 809k views. Hazel told us that when she saw this new TikTok trend, she thought it was “right up my street as I had loads of embarrassing pictures of myself so I just thought I’d hop on the trend.”
The picture of 9-year-old Hazel was taken when the family was on holiday. “I begged and begged my mum for these heels and she kept saying no but she finally gave in and brought them for me.” This was the very first pair of heels that Hazel owned, so as you can imagine, she wore them everywhere. “I was obsessed with them and I would never take them off (not even by the pool).”
Today, Hazel cringes over her old holiday snap. “Looking back now at the image, it just makes me cringe as the outside doesn’t go well at all.” She had no clue that her TikTok would blow up with this one video, “especially when I only had 100 followers, so when the numbers got bigger, I was really shocked.”
TikTok was the most downloaded app last year, hitting 1.5 billion downloads and outperforming Instagram. Sensor Tower reported that TikTok was the third most-downloaded app behind WhatsApp and Messenger. It’s now officially the most loved app by Gen Z, and it seems like nothing could slow down its momentum.
According to Business Insider, TikTok's growth has to do with skyrocketing users in India, which accounted for 31% of the app's downloads. TikTok’s second-biggest market was China with 11.5% of the app’s downloads, and only then came the US with 8.2% of its downloads.
One of the reasons for TikTok's success is something that’s completely unique to it. It turns out, TikTok has the ability to make users feel like they’re watching a TV-like reality show that offers new content over a period of time.
Most importantly, TikTok is now a trend-generating super-machine that’s powered by real people and their genuine life experiences. Most of the internet’s viral content is born here, including challenges, hashtags, songs, and trending videos.
In some cases, they outgrow the platform itself and become part of popular culture—like the song "Old Town Road," which won a Grammy thanks to the meme culture on the platform.
#11
Karin Jansen 5 years ago
Same!! Also, way more comfortable for running around than those normal bikini shorts that won't stay in place.
#13
Susan Trevaskis-Owen 5 years ago
This is just adorable :-) I wish I had 1/10th the confidence!
Kisses4Katie 5 years ago
I love how she's just feeling herself and in her element in these. Natural!
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
She not on the lane, if you look really close you can see the limit line behind her.
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#16
phantom buni 5 years ago
I wear lipstick and I still think people are in love with me. But maybe this is just my villain origin story.
#19
Verena Abt 4 years ago
I never thought all the boys were into me.... actually I used to think no one likes me and I will never have a boyfriend.
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What do you think ?
L.M. Frazer 4 years ago (edited)
Omg after reading your comment I had to go back and look. The first time through the set I was all "wow, a lot of these kids look oddly similar!" 🤦🤣
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Chris Hardtke 5 years ago
Stop trying to make main character happen. It’s not going to happen.
Charlotte A. 5 years ago
no we didn't. I rather wish I could have had such faith in myself when little... (definitely had bad bad fashion/styling moments, though...)
Load More Replies... Martha Meyer 5 years ago
The fact that most of the children are fat in those pictures is really concerning.
H Edwards 5 years ago
I know. Seeing fat kids makes me sad. Glad to see that some of them managed to shed the weight, but being fat from a young age is often a life sentence to struggling with your weight your whole life. Let me be clear, I don't blame the kids at all.
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Just JoLynn 5 years ago
I sincerely hope that main character has maintained her confidence. It's tough being an adolescent.
OffKeySinger 5 years ago
I remember thinking I was awesome with bangs that looked like I hit a wall at high speed and they stuck, or having bangs of a giant blossom on my head. Yes, this was the early 90's
Tarryn Louise 4 years ago
So basically one girl named Main Character and like half a dozen others. Should be the title.
Lady Lava 4 years ago (edited)
I remember something like this from when I was ten years old. I had a new outfit for the school Christmas dinner, and I felt so fashionable and cool in it! And then no-one complimented me or even said anything about it. I felt so disappointed... Weird that I still remember this. Unfortunately, I have no pic of it, so I could look at that outfit, but I still remember it clearly. One of the clothes I wore was a legging. We had sought very long for one that wasn't sagging on my very thin legs...
DDmaybeandor 5 years ago
These little girls are probably more bad-a$$ than their adult counter parts.
Cecilia Bivald 5 years ago
You are all lovely, then and now! Let yourself feel like the boss when your walking fast to great used, or the hottest around when wearing a new shirt. Milk it!
Florence Hastings 5 years ago
I think all these people were just being kids and have nothing to be embarrassed about.
Celtic Pirate Queen 5 years ago (edited)
I have to say I am pretty impressed with the self confidence some of these little porkers had.
L.M. Frazer 4 years ago (edited)
Omg after reading your comment I had to go back and look. The first time through the set I was all "wow, a lot of these kids look oddly similar!" 🤦🤣
Load More Replies... Chris Hardtke 5 years ago
Stop trying to make main character happen. It’s not going to happen.
Charlotte A. 5 years ago
no we didn't. I rather wish I could have had such faith in myself when little... (definitely had bad bad fashion/styling moments, though...)
Load More Replies... Martha Meyer 5 years ago
The fact that most of the children are fat in those pictures is really concerning.
H Edwards 5 years ago
I know. Seeing fat kids makes me sad. Glad to see that some of them managed to shed the weight, but being fat from a young age is often a life sentence to struggling with your weight your whole life. Let me be clear, I don't blame the kids at all.
Load More Replies... Just JoLynn 5 years ago
I sincerely hope that main character has maintained her confidence. It's tough being an adolescent.
OffKeySinger 5 years ago
I remember thinking I was awesome with bangs that looked like I hit a wall at high speed and they stuck, or having bangs of a giant blossom on my head. Yes, this was the early 90's
Tarryn Louise 4 years ago
So basically one girl named Main Character and like half a dozen others. Should be the title.
Lady Lava 4 years ago (edited)
I remember something like this from when I was ten years old. I had a new outfit for the school Christmas dinner, and I felt so fashionable and cool in it! And then no-one complimented me or even said anything about it. I felt so disappointed... Weird that I still remember this. Unfortunately, I have no pic of it, so I could look at that outfit, but I still remember it clearly. One of the clothes I wore was a legging. We had sought very long for one that wasn't sagging on my very thin legs...
DDmaybeandor 5 years ago
These little girls are probably more bad-a$$ than their adult counter parts.
Cecilia Bivald 5 years ago
You are all lovely, then and now! Let yourself feel like the boss when your walking fast to great used, or the hottest around when wearing a new shirt. Milk it!
Florence Hastings 5 years ago
I think all these people were just being kids and have nothing to be embarrassed about.
Celtic Pirate Queen 5 years ago (edited)
I have to say I am pretty impressed with the self confidence some of these little porkers had.
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