Readers share 21 trends accepted now that may embarrass later

A woman paused while scrolling through old photos and laughed at the oversized false eyelashes she once wore every day, wondering how styles shift so quickly from normal to noticeable. In the summer of 2024 Upworthy posed a question on Facebook about trends accepted now that might draw embarrassment later, and hundreds of readers replied with their observations. Some focused on everyday clothing and home features, including yoga pants that might age like parachute pants, barn doors inside houses, full-body tattoos, socks with sandals, pajamas worn outside, and oversized false eyelashes that stand out in photos. Others pointed to daily technology habits, such as walking with eyes fixed on a phone during meals with friends or sending texts while someone sits across the table, habits that could later seem like missed chances to connect. Larger concerns appeared in many replies, including the absence of healthcare coverage for all people, actions that make the planet harder for humans to inhabit, public money spent on sports arenas owned by billionaires, and limits placed on individual decisions about bodies. School-related comments described parents confronting teachers over grades, efforts to restrict books for religious reasons, children speaking disrespectfully to adults, and university spaces set aside for students to cry when course material feels overwhelming. Additional replies touched on behavior during shortages, judgments based on age, people living without shelter, and the treatment of animals raised for food. The responses showed that many readers already notice patterns they hope will change, and the act of naming them marks an early point in addressing those patterns over time.