This Online Group Has People Revealing Pictures From A Regrettable Past, Here Are 40 Of The Funniest (New Pics)
Those rebellious teenage years may be gone, but evidence of our toe-curling style disasters is not. After all, nearly everyone has gone through this awkward phase in their lives, and it still finds a way to come back to make us cringe at our younger selves. Whether it’s being super into some lousy boy band or opting for terrible fashion trends and even worse hairdos, we all have photos hidden in family albums we hope will never see daylight.
But as it turns out, they do. In fact, people themselves are sharing their hilarious discoveries on the aptly titled subreddit 'Blunder Years: pictures from a regrettable past'. This online community is all about embracing that period in our lives when we thought we were extremely unique and edgy, yet looked anything but.
So buckle up and get ready for a wild rollercoaster ride full of embarrassing yearbook photos and old MySpace pics. Scroll down to find some of our favorites from the group, upvote the ones that made you laugh, and tell us what you think about them in the comments! And if you think you can handle even more teen madness, check out our earlier compilations right here, here, and here.
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In 1989 I Made Myself A Fartbusters Uniform, Marched The Streets Singing “If Something Smells Strange In Your Neighbourhood…”, And Sprayed People With The Bottle Of Cheap Perfume In Attached Shoebox
Me In 1998 And My Wife In 2000
My Sisters And I Wanted Those Glamour Photos From The 90s, But We Were Too Young So Mum Had Us Do A Homemade One Instead
To learn more about teenage independence and this strong urge to stand out from the crowd and discover new personas, we reached out to Cameron Caswell, Ph.D., an adolescent psychologist, family success coach, "teen translator", and the host of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam podcast. For over two decades, she has set out on a mission to help parents build strong relationships with their kids through improved communication, connection, and understanding, and has even published a book called Power Phrases for Parents: Teen Edition.
According to Dr. Cam, most teenagers have an extremely strong desire for independence. After all, adolescence is the bridge from childhood to adulthood, so it’s only natural for them to want to spread their wings and seek out their personalities. "It’s hardwired in their brain to become independent. Thank goodness, otherwise they might live in our basements for the rest of their life," she told Bored Panda.
Nearly every mom and dad wish to see their children grow up to be confident, self-reliant adults, though it makes parenting them a lot more difficult, Dr. Cam argued. "It often feels like they push back and fight us at every turn. This may come across as disrespect to parents, but it’s actually their best attempt to have a voice and exert agency over their own lives."
In 4th Grade I Stuck Erasers All Over My Face, Which Left Red Welts Everywhere. My Mom Had To Send Me To School With A Note Letting Them Know I Didn’t Have Measles And I Was Just An Idiot
I Give You One 15 Yo Goth With Her Eyebrows Shaved Off. My Step Dad Nicknamed Me “Sunshine”
Awww, don't be so hard on yourself - you were a cute baby goth. Seriously, you looked like some of my friends and I always thought they had amazing looks.
Been A Weirdo Forever (1996)
For better or worse, many of us never forget our teenage years. The perplexing mood swings, the parental pressure, and the desperate struggles for popularity are just a few things that make us glad those days are long gone. And let’s not forget how we used to protest just about everything we laid our eyes on and were obsessed with who we wanted to become in the future. What we often tend to overlook, however, is that it was also the time for experimentation and self-exploration (although some of us never stopped looking!). We used to test limits and look for alternative lifestyles, which often resulted in us trying out edgy hair colors and styles, clothing, piercing, and much more.
Please Enjoy My Old Myspace Profile Pictures. No Filter
Setting Trends At About 10 Years Old, Rural England!
Going Through A Bunch Of Old Photos From High School, The Expression Of The Girl In The Back Definitely Says A Lot
The psychologist explained that this urge to adopt new looks and create fresh personalities arises because adolescence is all about self-discovery. "Along with their desire for independence is a yearning to be their own person. Up until now, their identity was strongly influenced by their family. Now they realize that there are far more options available to them," she told us.
"They want to figure for themselves what works for them. They try out different friend groups, fashions, and favorites to see what fits. They question their religion, sexuality, gender identity, and political beliefs," Dr. Cam continued. "The more freedom they have to explore, the more confident they will be in the choices they make."
I Insisted On Wearing A Suit Everywhere I Went Because I Had A Phase When I Was Younger Where I Wanted To Be The President, And For Years My Brother's Would Cry Every Time They Saw Santa
My Mum Commissioned Someone To Make These Outfits For A Family Wedding. We’re Boys Btw
No matter what gender you are, these are... something. It knocks my socks off that your mother actually went out of her way to pay someone to make these.
In 2004 I Won A Contest To Dj At My Very Small Hometown’s Easy-Listening Radio Station. I Proceeded To Play An Hour Of Evanescence Deep Cuts And Ruined Everyone’s Morning Commute
I love this. I think every radio station should periodically play radically different music. Bonus points if it crosses generations. It's good for people to be introduced to different things.
But as you probably noticed from this compilation of pictures, teenagers' wish to carve out their own path to be different than the people around them often shows up in hilarious fashion choices. "Donning the trends of the season is one of the easiest things we can do to 'fit in'. That’s why it’s so important to our teens to wear a specific brand of shoes, style their hair a certain way, and keep up with the fads. It gives them a sense of belonging," Dr. Cam noted and added that there’s no way for us to avoid making these cringe-worthy mistakes. "Even if we could, why would we want to? Think of all the tears of laughter we’d miss out on," she added jokingly.
That Time In 2011 My Mom Took Me To Niagara Falls And I Spent The Entire Time Planking
I Swear To The Great Mushroom God I Wore This To Prom Senior Year
Photo Of My Brother And I On Our Grandma’s Favorite Mug. 1998
However, while teenagers feel pulled toward autonomy, they also seek to connect with others and be a part of something bigger than themselves. The adolescent psychologist told us that in addition to wanting to be their unique self, teens also crave a sense of belonging. "Although they may push the boundaries to stand out from the social norms they grew up with, they don’t want to stand alone. Instead, they find a group that accepts their new persona and adapts to blend in with them," she added.
They Early 90's Were Not Kind To My Family
The only one without the 80s glasses has his eyes closed - classic
My Aunt Sent Me A Bunch Of Old Photos Of Me That She Collected Over The Years. There’s Some Real Gems
Kid with orange hair - CEO of punk. Kid with purple hair - CEO's executive assistant. Girl with fairly normal hair - intern still in training.
Mom Made Us All Easter Leisure Suits....don't Be Jealous...circa 1975
Dr. Cam believes that teenagers get a bad rap. "Remember, they are learning to navigate a huge world on their own, figuring out who they are and what matters to them, experiencing love and heartbreak for the first time, and still expected to keep their grades up and do their chores. If you think about it, they’re pretty remarkable," she concluded.
One Of My Best Friends And I In Early 2012. We Were 8, And Had Our Own Band
We Called Ourselves The Chicken Fighters And This Was For A Talent Show. We Danced To No Music (Around 1998)
The Local Newspaper Did Me Dirty
Every Photo Of Myself Circa 2006 Looks Something Like This
1996. I Said I'd Only Go To Prom If I Could Wear The 1970s High School Jazz Band Uniform I Stole. Matching Hair And Glossy White Shoes Were A Last Second Add
My Wonderful Supportive Mom Paid A Professional Photographer For These
Kings Island, Oh In 1984. While 14-Year Old Me Liked Cutoffs At The Time, Today I Am Enraged My Parents Allowed Me To Leave The House Like This
13 Year Old Me In The Emergency A** Area
Easily The Best Day Of My Life - Christmas 1997
Lonnnnnng Before Cell Phones, We Made Appointments At The Mall To Take These Pics
2003 vs. 2019
I Was So Proud Of How Cool I Looked With This Background In 1994
That actually isn't half as bad as some other backdrops from that unfortunate era of "why in gods name would our parents pay extra for THIS" ?!?
Matrix Inspired Outfit I Wore To School In 2008
I Had Eyeliner Wings Way Before Amy Winehouse- Rocking Mcdonald’s Arches For Eyebrows - I Thought I Was A Chola Back In 1998 Lol
Senior Photos 2009. I Loved The Shock Value. Smh
2005. 15 Years Old. Loved Casualties And Billy Talent. So Punk Dude, So Punk
I Don't Even Know What This Was Supposed To Be. I Was 15 And Very Into Weed
Jncos And A Pink Panther Top 2000-Ish
No One Understood My Teenage Angst
Met The Beatles, My Favorite Band, At Age 11 In Disney World ~circa 2004
2009. My Senior Photo. It Wasn't Enough Without The Tiara
My Husband Made His Sister Take This Photo Of Him. He Was In A Band
This is what happens when your band realizes your guitar skills are craap but they can't seem to find a suitable replacement.
My Myspace Profile Pic Was Of Drunken Me Feeding A Random Goat A Bagel At A Party And I Thought It Made Me Cool
I see nothing uncool about this AND, on a side note, you were very striking- I'd frame this.
My Mom’s Second Grade Photo 1970.. Makes Me Laugh!
That's a straight up baby legend. I'd even go so far as to ensure this was my obituary picture.
I Still Miss That Scanner. Senior Year, 1999
Freshman Year I Referred To Every Woman I Met As “Ma’am”, Regardless Of Age And Effected A Southern Accent, In San Francisco
God, I'd almost wiped the memory of those shirts from my mind. Almost.
I Was Obsessed With Korn As A Teen. This Was A DIY Photoshop I Did Of My Face Onto His Girlfriend’s Body
Who Could Say No?
I Went To Middle School Like This For 10 Extra Credit Points On My History Presentation. To This Day, I Will Never Forget What It Felt Like To Look Around The Classroom And Realize That No One Had Dressed Up But Me
Dear Slim, Congratulations On Making It To The Halftime Show. From Your Biggest Fan, This Is Stan
Dear mister I’m to good to call or write my fans! This’ll be the last thing I ever send yo ⬛️⬛️⬛️
I Couldn’t Speak English Back Then And My Cousin Used To Type The Captions. I Used To Think I Had The Coolest Facebook Profile Pic
The Year Is 1998 And We Spent 2 Hours Getting Ready To Take Our Girl Band Photo
It Was 2008 And I Wanted To Be A ...vampirate
By Far The Worst Photo Of Me In Existence. 9 Years Old (1999)
Hey!!! You were getting treatment to make you better. In years to come that will be your favourite photo
My Partner And I When We First Got Together, 2012. I Can Smell The Hairspray Through My Screen
Family Trip To The Cn Tower, Circa 2001. I Was “Too Cool” To Play Along
I Was One Of Two Metal Heads In My School. Freshman Year, 1989-1990
I Didn’t Like Rollercoasters
We Would Dress Up And Go To Walmart To Play Hide And Seek
Me At My 21st Birthday Party. I'm In The Early Stages Of Growing A 'Devilock' And Have An Obligatory 90s Goatee And A Hatred For All Mankind
Do Your Worst. Sorry You Guys Don't Love America As Much As I Do
The Year Was 2006. I Really Thought I Did Something Cool Here
Mom Said I Looked Handsome
Me Circa 1995. I Think I Thought I Was Grunge Or Something
9th Birthday. I Intentionally Ate Only Half The Letters In My Name (Cassie), So I Could Spell Out A**
My Haircut 6 Years Ago In 8th Grade When I Decided Half Shaved And Highlighter Yellow Was The Coolest Thing Ever
I Was One Of Those Who Used To Wear A Beanie In The Middle Of The Summer
Everything About This Look Just Screams 2000’s (Yes, Those Are High Heel Flip Flops)
I Was Convinced This Photo Was Going To Make Me Go Viral
A Chubby Little Dance Queen In The 90s
Honey, you're not alone. None of us dancing queens looked good in those recital costumes.
That Time When My Mom Got Me Glamor Shots...
Yea That’s Eyeliner And Yes I’m On A Rooftop
My Mom Started Dating A Dj, I Would Wear This Shirt On Days I Knew I’d See Him. I Grew Up To Be An Edm Fan, Go Figure
Me, Mom, Sister, Some Strange Man I Have Never Been Able To Identify (1998)
Us: Chicks Are So Going To Dig This!
Honestly, yeah. They would've been a hot commodity in my circle of friends.
This Was My Go To “It’s 2013 And We’re Going To Get Frappuccinos And Walk Around The Mall For 6 Hours Without Buying Anything” Look
Planking? Need I Say More?
Me At 15 (2013), When I Thought It Was Cool To Shave My Eyebrows Off. Also, Those Braces Are Fake
Back In 2008, I Was 14 And Thought This Was Bada**. I Ruined My Childhood Photos By Posing Like This Most Of The Time
I Did The Exact Same Pose In Every Single Picture From 9 To 13. It Did Not Suit Me
Duck lips: ✔️ weird finger gestures: ✔️ serious bangs game: ✔️ You, young buck, have hit the awkward af trifecta. (But you were still adorable).
I Still Have No Clue What This Hand Gesture Means But I Sure As Hell Pulled It Out In Every Photo Taken In 2012
(2008) If I Could Go Back In Time, I Would Go Back To This Exact Moment And Capture My Present Self Punching My Fifteen-Year-Old Self To The Back Of The Head
Honestly, I think the hair would prevent the back of the head punch from landing.
I Used To Buy All My Shirt At Spencer’s. Had To Borrow My Sister’s Coat And Stethoscope For This Photo
2007... Yikes
The color saturation is really well done (I think I'm using "saturation" correctly). Either way, that's a nice shade (and I want that shirt).
I Peaked In ‘95
Please Enjoy This Photo Of Me And My Family From The Early 2000s. I Really Thought I Was A Karate Master And Wore My Gi Everywhere
Me At 11, Making A Facebook Profile Pic...
16 Years Old 2005. We Were So Cool With Our First Cell Phones
1995 - Im On The Left. Someone Should Have Been Fined For Letting Me Walk Around Like That
My Sister And I Going To A Ke$ha Concert In 2011. Our Personality Differences Are Clear
I Was 14 And Wanted To Be Like Avril Lavigne So Much It Hurt. Do You Think I Wore Enough Patterns?
15 Year Old Me In Hollister Wearing Full Light Up World Of Warcraft Cosplay
I'm surprised they let you through the door - that place was a breeding ground for mean girls (and boys). I only attempted to browse in that store once and from the looks that I got and still remember to this day, I never attempted it again. BTW- that was a great costume.
In Honor Of His 40th Birthday, Here I Am With My Elijah Wood Wall, Circa 2004
One Of My Friends Texted Me The Picture/Gif On The Left Saying, “I Feel Like This Was You As A Kid.” Pretty Accurate Actually
Kriss Kross Gonna Make Me Jump Jump... On My Bed
I’m The One In The White Tux Jacket And Plastic Gas Station Sunglasses Before Prom In 2002
Early 2000s. I Heard That Layers Were Trendy And I Went All In
Think I Was Around 9 In This Photo. Definitely Not My Best Moment
As I slowly scrolled down, I thought to myself "there's nothing wrong with thi...oh. dear. God."
Brother And I’s First Day Of School Photo Looking A Little Wedding Like... Smh Mom
OMG This reminds me of getting "married" in the 7th grade to my crush, spent my lunch money on a so called ring, then got divorced the next day. You would have though I would have learned my lesson, but NNNOOOO let's do it for real. HAHAHAHAHAA
Kindergarten School Photo, Circa 1999. That Smile Haunts Me
What’s Worse Is The Caption Was “Girl Gamers Ftw”
I'm almost 40 and I will never put the controller down unless my wrists hurt too much.
Load More Replies...No such thing as girl gamers. We are all gamers. Some smell nicer then others, some are prettier then others, some have beards, some have hairy legs, but we are all gamers. BTW, 47 year old gamer here.
Puberty Hit Me Young. 5th Grade Photo
You Couldn't Convince Me That My Xl Polo Wasn't Peak Style. Age 11, '94
Frosted Tips And Bong Rips Back In 2002
My Password For Runescape Was Xboxguy69
Myself, My Ex-Girlfriend And My Younger Brother. Myspace Days
Entire Family Blunder, 2001
My Mum Kindly Uploaded This To Facebook. Me In The Early 2000s Getting Ready For A School Dance With The Theme 'Goths'
Pirates Of The Caribbean Was Why I Had Dreads
I Told My Mum I Wanted To Look Like A Boy. Assignment Achieved With What Seems To Have Been Some Form Of Bowl Lol
Oh my God, you were adorable and somehow that haircut worked on you. That in itself is a bloody miracle. NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, ever pulled this look off until you did.
The Year Was 1997 And I Insisted On Going To Deaf Camp. I Am Not Deaf. I Was The Only Hearing Kid There. I’m The One With Bangs
My mom went to a deaf school even though she was not deaf. You are not alone :)
Age 17, Took This Unironically Thinking My Hair Looked Amazing
I Hear We're Posting Our Photoshop Crush Pics. Me And Ashton On Our Dream Vacation Circa 2005
Visiting My Dad- I Finally Found One To Add Here
Iykyk. The Heart Collage, The Blown Out Exposure Filters, The Massive Side Sweeping Bangs And Posing With Random Objects
ERASERHEAD redux: My boss came in one day with a big red spot on his forehead he was a very straightshooter and still had the honesty to admit that at a party he stuck one of those suction cup arrows to his forehead for a couple hours...and there you go.
Thought I Was Cool As Heck
The One True Official Karate Kid
18yo Me With Dimples From Having My Cheeks Pierced In Some Strangers Condo And Getting Them Surgically Removed A Week Later. Ah, The Good Ole Days
In 1997 I Went To A Halloween Party As Saddam Hussein
Me Circa 2009. I Insisted On Having That Hair Cut And Had No Idea Who Tony Hawk Was...
Yeah, my childhood photos are all of a normal, well mannered, boring a*s kid. I was so afraid of looking stupid that I had practically no personality at all. Kudos to these kids for being brave enough to own it - even if whatever "it" is looks goofy 10 years later.
Let's be honest. Almost all of us was an awkward teenager. All those attractive highschoolers in tv shows, no acne or bad haircut in sight, it's not real.
Yep, if you can't dress badly when you're young, when can you do it?
Load More Replies...I still look like a dork in pictures. I can't smile realistically. As one friend put it "You look like you're thinking about murder"
Hey, glad to see I rank #2 thanks for not asking to use my photo for your revenue.
Doesn't matter the generation; the angst and cringe is transcendental
My family found all our old photo albums recently, and the living room has since been filled with cries of 'OH MY-' ' Ok, guys DO NOT look at that' 'My hair! What did I do with my hair!' ' Wait that's not me....' ' Mum who is this?'- ' oh that's uncle with hair' ' that's is a CREEPY baby' ' why am I naked?' ' oooh dad, nice outfit' ect ect.....
Yeah, my childhood photos are all of a normal, well mannered, boring a*s kid. I was so afraid of looking stupid that I had practically no personality at all. Kudos to these kids for being brave enough to own it - even if whatever "it" is looks goofy 10 years later.
Let's be honest. Almost all of us was an awkward teenager. All those attractive highschoolers in tv shows, no acne or bad haircut in sight, it's not real.
Yep, if you can't dress badly when you're young, when can you do it?
Load More Replies...I still look like a dork in pictures. I can't smile realistically. As one friend put it "You look like you're thinking about murder"
Hey, glad to see I rank #2 thanks for not asking to use my photo for your revenue.
Doesn't matter the generation; the angst and cringe is transcendental
My family found all our old photo albums recently, and the living room has since been filled with cries of 'OH MY-' ' Ok, guys DO NOT look at that' 'My hair! What did I do with my hair!' ' Wait that's not me....' ' Mum who is this?'- ' oh that's uncle with hair' ' that's is a CREEPY baby' ' why am I naked?' ' oooh dad, nice outfit' ect ect.....