It’s time to start going through your photo albums from your teenage years and early twenties, because there’s a new TikTok trend that lets you show off your most chaotic throwback photos. Those weird photos you might have previously hidden away in an unmarked box at the back of your closet are now being shared openly on TikTok over a sped-up version of the hit song, “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus, made the Teenage Dirtbag trend. Whether photos show you visibly lit up at a college party, lying in the middle of a parking lot, or that emotion-inspired haircut you rocked during a tantrum in 2005, the trend has grown quickly and spanned the generations. .
Both Millennials and Gen Z’ers are sharing their craziest photos from the experiences that helped shape their “dirty bag.” In a way, it’s allowing creators to romanticize their most anarchic years — looking back on those memories with equal parts embarrassment, humor and nostalgia. The hashtag, #TeenageDirtbag, has garnered over 587.6 million views, while the remix version of the song has over 456.7 videos. TikTok users and celebrities are following the trend – thinking fondly of their new days. Keep reading to walk down memory lane and learn more about the Teenage Dirtbag trend.
How did the teen dirty bag trend start?
As regular TikTok users know, nostalgic trends are constantly popping up on millions of FYPs. In the past, people have experimented with hairstyles from the early 2000s, shared personal camcorder videos from the 90s, and even “Get Ready With Me” videos based on different decades of fashion. This isn’t the first time hitmaker Wheatus has grabbed the limelight on TikTok. In March of 2021, the first round of the Teenage Dirtbag trend appeared, minus the original beat. The 2021 trend was characterized by several phrases at the beginning of the video – “That’s not me”, “It’s not you?”, “No” – and then cut to an unknown photo of the creator as “I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby” plays in the background.
Several creators used this first iteration of the trend to show how they’ve experimented with different aesthetics—one creator appears in awe of her former “VSCO” self. Another creator recalls a time when she dressed up as a vampire for family events — complete with white face paint, fishnet tights and a bold red lip — both for Thanksgiving in 2008 and for a family trip to Disney World. .
What is the teenage bag trend?
This revamped version of the Teenage Dirtbag trend encourages wearers to get in touch with their messier past. The second adaptation started in late July 2022 and once again spread to all the different corners of the internet. But this time, it’s all about sharing those photos you might have otherwise kept to yourself. Photos you’d rather burn than post online. You know them.
Now, to be clear, the Teenage Dirtbag trend isn’t just someone living their best Bella Swan life with dark makeup and a moody attitude. If you grew up listening to alternative music instead of pop hits on the radio, consider yourself an electronic girl, or don’t remember much of your twenties, chances are you’re a Teenage Dirtbag. Basically, you were the mystery kid in high school, wearing vintage clothes before they were all the rage, and honestly, you wish you were still in your Teenage Dirtbag era.
Some people have mistaken the trend for just another opportunity to share a photo from high school, but that’s not the case. While searching for your Teenage Dirtbag photo, stay away from the yearbooks, your mom’s photo albums, and definitely your family Christmas cards. You won’t find your rebellious pictures in any of those healthy places. Look for those photos of you wearing an edgy 2000s outfit, complete with low-rise black jeans, chunky belts, layered tops, and maybe even a set of dramatic side bangs.
One content creator, @LittleLicata, fully understood the task when she posted a photo of herself at a Sublime concert in 2009, where she was on someone’s shoulder yelling for her favorite band. What made this photo a perfect example of the Teenage Dirtbag trend was the fact that the broken photo was shared in her local newspaper. @LittleLicata got over a million views on this video, with over 202,800 likes. Clearly, viewers agreed that Licata clearly understood the trend.
User @cigsoverpigs, a Gen Z creator who pioneered the Teenage Dirtbag trend, took grunge to the next level in his post. He shared a photo of himself sporting a pink and black mullet, piercings, intense eye make-up and iconic flashy accessories – yes, there’s a collar and it’s iconic. His caption read, “I look terrible in a good way,” which is completely accurate. This post was a more hostile take on the trend, but still fits the mold.
Since the Teenage Dirtbag trend resurfaced in early August, celebrities have also started jumping on board and posting their own version of the TikTok trend. Joe Jonas, Nina Dobrev, Paris Hilton, Chloe Cherry, Demi Lovato, Alicia Silverstone, Brooke Shields, Charli XCX, and even Julia Fox are just a few of the celebrities who have set the viral trend in motion. Demi Lovato is the ultimate teenage dirtbag — and that’s totally a compliment.
As the trend evolves and reaches new audiences, the Teenage Dirtbag trend has caught on. While it’s creating a safe space for people with an inner dirtbag, it’s also allowing people to admit that they might not have been a teenage dirtbag. People with a less sheltered childhood are also able to relate to the trend. Both introverts and extroverts are seeing themselves represented as a teenage bag.
The “Introverted Dirtbag” version usually starts with a creator saying, “I wish I was a Teenage Dirtbag, but…” One creator, @stevieraythepup, posted a less intense adaptation where she shared that her childhood was spent being an active “church kid”. ”, a lifestyle she has since given up. The video, which received 8 million views, showed that instead of spending her time at concerts, clubs or bars, @stevieraythepup was singing worship songs and getting Christian tattoos.
Another creator, @thethatgirlguide, openly stated that she is not a teenage dirtbag. She said her parents had to pay her to go to parties and that she was never grounded. It seems that this creator is not even claiming the power of dirty bags. Now, I don’t think whether or not you were grounded as a child makes you a teenage dirtbag, but the definition is definitely open to interpretation.
Everyone has a little bit of a Teenage Dirtbag inside of them, whether you spent your teenage years going to hard rock concerts or reading your favorite book over and over again. Don’t be afraid to bring out your inner dirtbag, just maybe leave the side bangs in 2007.