15 Back-Then Photos That Should Have Been Burned a Long Time Ago

Do you remember that feeling when your mother decides to show family photos to guests and takes the family album out? That’s when the true portal to the recent past opens up, which you feel like shutting as soon as possible and forgetting about forever. That’s the very feeling the characters of our compilation probably have when they look at their old photos.

“Me in my school photo looking like a 60-year old librarian with my cardigan, turtleneck, and thick glasses. Date and age unknown.”

“It was so terrible that my mom is still roasting me.”

“I look like a widow who came to pick up the insurance money after her husband’s death.”

Me in high school, 2006. The lady taking the photo asked me, “Are you sure you want to smile like that?”

“Let’s start a band, year 2006”

“I thought I was so cool with my 8-megapixel camera.”

“I thought this perm and haircut was going to make me look just like Whitney Houston.”

“I was going for ’adorable 4-year-old,’ but ended up with ’possibly rabid hyena.’”

“The year was 2002, I decided to be a Q-tip for Halloween. Being 12ish is a weird time in life.”

“I still have the under-eyes bags, but no more orange hair.”

“Me in 2005 roasting marshmallows in rubber boots and a wizard hat”

“These glasses were the height of my fashion sense.”

“My fashion sense peaked in 2010.”

“’80s night on a cruise ship. I’m 14 here, believe it or not.”

“My coworker gave me permission to post this picture of her in high school.”