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Once upon a time, we were younger. And boy, did some of us think we were rad, groovy, phat, fly. Maybe even lit. We might have thought we were cooler than ice cold. Frostier than Vanilla Ice. Doper than Snoop Doggy Dogg. Only to get a much-needed reality check, when looking back on our teenage photos many years later. Sock-stuffed bras, third grade early midlife crisis, that hairstyle, those leg warmers, this make-up. Cringe. And cringe again.

If you want to feel a bit better about your biggest teenage faux pas, r/blunderyears might just be the perfect place for you. With 1 million members, sharing their “dusty treasures”, you’ll soon realize you don’t have to carry your shame alone. Bored Panda has picked our personal favorites, for you to have a good (maybe even relatable) laugh at. Don’t forget to upvote the ones that made you feel better about your own younger regrets.

#1 By The Third Grade I Was Dressed For My Midlife Crisis

Image credits: ArmadilloNo2399

#2 Looking Back At This Mother Daughter Photo Shoot At Disney, I Can See My Mom Was Trying So Hard To Bond With Me… Her Angsty, Awkward 13yo Daughter

Image credits: Kfrow

#3 8th Grade, Dared To Wear Thongs And Sock Stuffed Bras To School. We Did

Image credits: ggskater

If you were obsessed with being “cool” as a teenager, you’re not alone. And if you now realize you weren’t as cool as you thought you were, you also aren’t alone. As these “Blunder Years” pictures thankfully prove. The teenage need to be cool is actually quite normal. And that’s because of a few factors.

You might remember your teen years as a time you were exploring your identity. According to the Parenting Teenagers Academy, because many teens are unsure of themselves, they tend to feel insecure. One of the safest ways for them to feel accepted is to get into the “in crowd”. “Being socially accepted is something that most humans (regardless of age) strive for,” reads the site. “And by being cool this is the quickest way to get there.”

#4 Grandma Took Me To Get Glamour Shots At The Mall- Mom Said She Almost Had A Heart Attack First Time She Saw The Photos

Image credits: laurelfrac

#5 The Chill That Crawled Up My Spine When This Came Up On My Timeline

Image credits: allgoodthings96

#6 I Think This Hairstyle Was A Thing?

Image credits: muffinlady90

The need to be cool and popular is also a cry for attention. Insecure teenagers might seek validation to feel better about themselves. The same can be said for insecure adults. It’s about ego… The academy teaches parents that the ego is formed during the teenage years.

“The ego loves to be cool because it will feel more powerful,” reads the site. “Its sense of self worth is being established and it gains a hold on your teenager, at least until they can learn to strike a balance between their true self and ego self.”

#7 Homecoming, Senior Year 2003. Attending The Old Football Dance To Complain About The Music And Sulk About

Image credits: vinsclortho

#8 I Didn’t Even Play Guitar

Image credits: elephantsgraveyard

#9 I Can Guarantee Protection

Image credits: butchqueentype

What’s considered cool to one clique, might not be cool to another. For some, rebelling is the ultimate act of coolness. “Many teenagers feel that by associating themselves with particular music, clothes, and culture, they’re rebelling and this makes them cool,” notes the Parenting Teenagers Academy site.

#10 My Freshman Yearbook Photo (2014)

Image credits: thatpilatesprincess

#11 Old Lady In The 80’s

Image credits: Ok_Explanation5348

#12 That Time I Wanted To Be A Denim Druid

Image credits: spacetrainz

According to NPO Child Focus, teenagers rebel for various reasons. They could be searching for their identity, asserting their independence and autonomy, or they could give in to peer pressure. Adolescence is a time of self-discovery. And teens might be questioning “values, beliefs, and authority figures to form their own sense of self,” suggests Child Focus. “This can lead to rebellious behavior as they try to establish their own identities separate from their parents or guardians.”

#13 Me As A Kid. When Someone Was Asking Me Who Do I Want To Become In Future, I Was Proudly Answering I’ll Be A Goth

Image credits: Important-Ad-2198

#14 Circa 2004. Yes, I Dressed Like This All The Time, And Yes, That Is A Changing Table In A Mall Bathroom

Image credits: gorthead

#15 When I Was 13 My Mom And I Had Some Fun After My Deadbeat Dad “Gifted” Me A Trash Bag Of His Girlfriend’s Clothes, Left On Our Front Porch

Image credits: tiny__e

In 2022, The New York Times asked 18 teenagers what they loved most about being their age. Not too surprisingly, fun, freedom, possibility and independence were among the top coolest things about being a teenager. “I am a 16-year-old teenage girl. I have slumber parties with my friends where we eat snacks and talk about boys and post embarrassing photos,” wrote one respondent, who might already be planning her future “Blunder Years” posts.

#16 I Hear This Is The Sub For Those Who Have Studied The Blade

Image credits: TheRedditAppisTrash

#17 How I Went To Senior Prom In 2000

Image credits: Rob_hocker

#18 I Was Emo But My Dad Didn’t Let Me Dye My Hair Black For A While

Image credits: Equivalent-Wait-2914

“I go to bed late and wake up tired on Monday mornings. I wear small clothing — I wear obscenely oversized clothes. I put glitter on my face and shout cheers with kids I barely know at sports games and pep rallies,” continued the teen.

Another respondent said they think “the best thing about being my age is knowing you can make mistakes.” We’ll cheers to that. As might anyone else who has a hidden stash of dusty blunder pics, and a head full of regret.

#19 My Wife Framed This Atrocity. 7yrs Old In 1987

Image credits: Pwnspoon

#20 Yes, I Really Wore This To School…

Image credits: CHEESERICESUPERSTAR

#21 Mom Asked Me To Model For A “Moody” Photo Shoot. Peak 7th Grade Me

Image credits: omnipresent_cat

#22 I Used To Think It Was Funny To Edit People Phones Into Clif Bars In Their Mirror Selfies (~2012)

Image credits: Paul_Cinnabunyan

#23 The Fear Is Real. Age 15, Caught Dancing By Myself In My Room

Image credits: 88kitkat808

#24 Me, Circa ‘05, 6 Years Before Bob’s Burgers Came Out

Image credits: ehoff98

#25 My Mom Was Serious About Picture Day

Image credits: wondrousalice

#26 9 Year Old Cousin: Stepped Out Of Vogue. 8 Year Old Me: Stepped Out Of An Episode Of South Park

Image credits: Sincerely_Lee

#27 Me – 5 Years Old, Around 1991/92

Image credits: [deleted]

#28 I Was The “Bug Kid” (2011-2015)

Image credits: NonchalantBread

#29 15 Years Ago

(If you care about the integrity of hair you don’t want to know how I achieved the tie dye looking bangs, and no…. My eyebrows never grew back 3x thicker than before shaving them despite my wishes.)

Image credits: Ok-Artichoke-3397

#30 My 8th Birthday. I Was The Only Kid That Knew How To Party

Image credits: poundurbutthole

#31 1987 – The Time I Decided To Cast My Entire Head While Alone In The House

Image credits: smappyfunball

#32 Was Feeling Myself After Finding A Loose Tassel From My Friends Couch Pillows

Image credits: GreenMim

#33 As A Kid I Used To Love Going To Goodwill To Buy Old Bridesmaid Dresses, Which My Mom Let Me Wear For Picture Day (Why???)

Image credits: uhhh206

#34 Hiya Here’s Me And My Partner When I Was 16 And He Was 14

Image credits: jetpackdog

#35 My Friends & I Rocking Our Zoot Suits During The Swing Craze In The 90s

Image credits: SomeShoeDog

#36 My 9th Grade “Graduation” In 2002. 3 Months Later I Was In Military School In Texas

Image credits: LeaveItToPeever

#37 Me At 15… I Don’t Have One Photo From That Year Without My Tongue Out

Image credits: harold_the_cat

#38 You Guys Liked My Last Blunder, So Here I Am Looking Like Justina Beiber

Image credits: harold_the_cat

#39 My Friends And Family Let Me Leave The House Like This. It Was 1984, And I’m 15

Image credits: deathakissaway

#40 Thought I Was Cool With My “Spike Hair” No Wonder People Used To Say It Looked Like A Tsunami

Image credits: jc0010

#41 Me Rockin’ TF Out Of A Mullet And Living My Best Life In Hawaii 1994

Image credits: Zakkattack86

#42 I Was The Only One At Glamour Shots Who Studied The Blade. Senior Photos 2003

Image credits: SchmuffinTown

#43 I Looked Ready To Join The Golden Girls By The Time I Was 7 In 2004. Can You Tell I Wasn’t Pleased?

Image credits: sarcastrofee

#44 Senior Portraits Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

Image credits: SchmuffinTown

#45 At 15 We Ran A Lesser Known But Well Respected Offshoot Of The Crips In Berkshire, England

Image credits: PuzzleheadedCow9372

#46 I Was Trying To Smile Like A Ninja Turtle. Doesn’t Translate Well When Actual Humans Attempt It

Image credits: Aescleah9873

#47 Studying The Blade Runs Deep In My Blood

Image credits: BawdyBarbie

#48 Almost 25 Years Ago… I Used To Wrap My Hair Up With Things. This Is My Last Year Of High School Year Book Photo. 17 Years Old. Phone Cord Head Band. So Stylish! What’s A Phone Cord?!

Image credits: ClamToes

#49 Dear Diary, Mood: Apathetic

Image credits: NOMADofTIME

#50 Used To Wear This Bunny Suit Long After It Was Age Appropriate And Theme Appropriate… In This Photo It Wasn’t Even Easter, It Was Someone’s Birthday

Image credits: bokin8

#51 The Coolest Kid In The World In 1979 Was My Cousin. He’s The One On The Right. I’m The One In Brown

Image credits: SebastianPhr

#52 My Husband, Circa 1987

Image credits: Fitnessfan_86

#53 4th Grade 1991, Laser Background, Big Wire Frame Glasses And Ministry Shirt. Doesn’t Get Much More Early 90s Than This

Image credits: Gorkymalorki

#54 I Wore This Vest And Fedora Combo Everyday On That Trip. The Concierge At Our Disney Resort Said “I Dont Trust This Guy” About Me And My Fedora

Image credits: yoyomaisapunk

#55 I Got The Jacket From The Lost And Found Box And Spray Painted My Shoes Gold In Welding Class, Myspace Delivered Too Hard Circa 2007

Image credits: Garretthairless

#56 Mil Killing It With Another Share: Husband Age 14

Image credits: dead_thing13

#57 Went To School As A Girl For Halloween, Circa 2007

Image credits: Garretthairless

#58 My First Ever School Picture. I’m Told It Made My Mother Cry

Image credits: thrash-unreal

#59 I (Female) Insisted On Dressing Up As Steve Wozniak For ‘Historical Figures’ Day In Elementary School

Image credits: Bbect

#60 My Mom Is Coming Out Of Her Bridesmaid’s Dress, My Dad’s Eyes Are Closed, My Brother Has His Finger Up His Nose, My Sister Has A Hand In Her Mouth, And I Am Over Being A Flower Girl

Image credits: Auntie1926

#61 The Queen Has Arrived… 1987

Image credits: ktdukes

#62 High School Senior Photo 2007

Image credits: Walpizzle

#63 Oh My God

Image credits: Bighawklittlehawk

#64 My Facebook Profile Picture In 2012

Image credits: TRJ2241987

#65 Bring A Prop For School Pictures. Most Kids Brought Sports Equipment Or An Instrument. I Brought…my Ventriloquist Dummy

Image credits: slukbunwalla

#66 When I Was 17 And Got My First Car, My Dad Made Me Take A Pic With The Salesman

Image credits: soggyscab

#67 My Fiancé Saw This Picture My Parents Took Of Me On A Cruise Ship And Laughed Until She Cried

Image credits: SuperTurboMan

#68 My Dad Used To Do Some Photoshopping Back Then

Image credits: ndaos

#69 My Childhood Best Friend Was Bubbles From The Powerpuff Girls From Halloween In 2000 And I’m Dying At This Photo I Just Found Of Us

Image credits: Complete_Mine5530

#70 1995-1997 My Dear Grandpa Showed These To My Fiance The Night Before Our Holy Matrimony

Image credits: POLARBEARBRIDE

#71 My College Rebel Phase Was To Be The Opposite Of My Hippy Dippy Parents

Image credits: Stormageadon

#72 Me & My Sisters Back In The Early 2000s When We Thought We Were Gonna Be On Disney Channel

Image credits: Relevant_Menu3197

#73 It Was 2009 & I Was Deep Into My “Rawr Xd” Phase

Image credits: Displaced_Palmtree

#74 My Wife’s Favorite Picture Of Me

Image credits: Stutturbug

#75 I Made The Jersey Shore Look Like Proper Dandy’s. (Douche Cringe) 20+ Years Ago

Image credits: Mobile-Historian-33

#76 Band Promo 2010 , Can You Guess What We Sounded Like… ?