Your back’s been hurting more and more recently. You’ve found yourself sneakily making the font on your work computer screen bigger. And you’ve realized that the music and films that those darn kids enjoy these days are beyond bizarre. No, the world’s not coming to an end—you’re simply getting older. 

The ‘[Heck], I’m Old’ online community is a place on the internet where everyone can post about aging. We’ve collected some of their most nostalgic pics and funniest memes to share with you, dear Pandas. So put on your reading glasses, scroll down, and upvote your fave pics. Meanwhile, you’ll have to excuse us, we’ve gotta sit down for a moment—we’ve got a few things to come to terms with…

Bored Panda got in touch with Glenn Geher, Ph.D., to get his opinion on what to focus on so that we can live a high-quality life as we age. Geher is a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz, a published author, and an avid marathon runner. Read on for the insights he shared with us.

#1 I Know That Feeling…

Image credits: RansomStoddardReddit

Professor Geher explained to Bored Panda that the human body “is a wear item” and that there’s an increase in health issues associated with aging. “From a societal perspective, making sure to provide easy access to high-quality health care—especially among older folks—is essential. And as we all know, some nations seem to do this better than do others,” he said.

“This said, lack of social connections is a known detrimental factor when it comes to health. And unfortunately, many elders tend to find themselves living alone for various reasons (e.g., death of a partner). And loneliness tends to be relatively prevalent in urbanized areas—which are, of course very common in the modern world.”

As such, public policy and government experts ought to prioritize issues like ensuring that elders have access to high-quality medical care and have safety nets “to help cultivate social connections.” From a large-scale health perspective, these are both critical issues.

#2 Too Old Af To Care But: Gen Z vs. Millennials vs. Gen X vs. Boomers

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#3 This Tweet Woke Up Today And Chose Violence

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Geher, who is currently 53 years old, shared with Bored Panda that he’s training for his 12th marathon right now. “I am fully expecting my time to be much slower than my time when I ran my first marathon at 29,” he revealed that, as a result, he himself has been thinking about the issue of embracing the aging process.

“Yes, aging is a beast. It comes with such adverse outcomes as physical decline, cognitive decline, and, often, stress and trauma associated with the increasing loss of loved ones,” the professor said.

“To buffer oneself against these adverse outcomes, from the perspective of positive evolutionary psychology, folks who are getting up there in years would be wise to eat natural foods and exercise regularly, maintain an active lifestyle that includes necessary cognitive expenditure, and take steps to make sure to be socially connected to at least a small group of close others.”

#4 20th Century Babies

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#5 Meirl

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#6 Photo… Album?

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Geher pointed out that the adage of aging being better than the alternative is generally true. “Taking the steps mentioned here can go a long way toward helping make the aging process a relatively positive experience.”

Professor Geher also has a Substack page and also writes a blog on Psychology Today. You can find the newest topics he covers there.

The online community has been going strong for nearly a full decade now—it will be celebrating its 10th birthday this September. At the time of writing, the group had just over 114k members. 

It’s easy to see why the sub is as popular as it is. It’s taking a very relatable subject (aging, getting grumpy, wanting simplicity, realizing that the younger generations might lack taste) and putting a fun spin on it. It’s a corner of the internet where you can find the humor in getting woken up by your bladder at 3 am and having an ID card that shows you were born before the turn of the millennium.

#7 Who Remembers The Original Search Engine?

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#8 Museum

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#9 This Made Me Laugh!

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It might sound cliche, but your age really is just a number. What matters far more is your lifestyle, how active a social life you have, and how you feel on a daily basis. If you’re healthy, active, surrounded by loved ones, and find gratitude in the smallest things, then it really doesn’t matter if you’re 70 or 17—you’re living life well.

However, a happy and healthy life isn’t something that happens automatically. It requires a lot of personal effort, a dash of discipline, and the willingness to set strong boundaries.

There is no definitive way to be happy because everyone’s an individual with unique goals, but it’s vital that you get the basics right first. These include taking care of your physical health, staying mentally sharp, maintaining your social connections, and living in the present.

As far as your physical health is concerned, the habits that you want to develop as soon as possible are common sense ones. Like getting enough sleep every night. Drinking plenty of water. Spending time in nature. Moving lots. Reducing screentime. Eating slightly less than you normally would. Avoiding drinking alcohol and smoking. Wearing sunscreen. And choosing to eat veggies, healthy fats, and protein instead of processed foods and refined sugars.

#10 Most Of These Apply To Me

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#11 Now We Need A Gps To Go To The Supermarket

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#12 I Think I’ve Done This A Few Times

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Health and fitness coach Anna Armagno Toussaint previously explained to Bored Panda that we should all strive to focus only on the things that we can control in life instead of worrying about the things that we can’t.

“You can control what you put into your body. You can control your water intake and the foods you choose. You can choose to exercise or be sedentary. In most cases, there are good or bad decisions you can make. And the biggest one is that you can choose your mindset about things,” she said.

#13 The Struggle Was Real

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#14 I Can’t Be The Only One. Right?

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#15 Did Every 90s Grandparent Have That Same Dining Room Table + Chairs?

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The fitness coach explained that there will always be hereditary factors that you’ll have to work around. Some might be minor. Others might be as serious as autoimmune diseases. You can’t choose these things, so you have to work around them. Embracing a positive outlook can help you get through those tough times, as you come to terms with reality.

Meanwhile, fitness coach Anna told Bored Panda that what really doesn’t help is feeling jealous that someone else might have physical advantages that you don’t. Whether it’s seemingly limitless energy or the ability to recover quickly after exercise. You can’t let those feelings of resentment dominate you.

#16 This Is So True For Me! How About For Anyone Else?

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#17 Are You This Old???

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#18 I Can Remember The Point In Which These Were Removed From Playgrounds

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If you find yourself struggling with your physical or mental health or having trouble with the very idea of getting older, it’s perfectly fine to ask for help. Reach out to your friends for advice. Talk to an expert about your goals. Seek out a therapist. Getting another person’s perspective on your struggles is invaluable!

Age UK, the country’s leading charity, previously told Bored Panda that staying active is paramount as we age. It helps to have a host of different hobbies and to try out new activities. Not only will they keep you moving, they’ll also stimulate your mind, and help you forge new friendships. The activities could be anything: from doing arts and crafts or taking photography or computer classes to doing gardening or joining a book club. Social isolation is horrible for our health, so it’s essential that you regularly find ways to connect to other people.

#19 Solitaire

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#20 Who Remembers These Pieces Of Art?

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#21 I’m Barely 50… Why Is This So Accurate?!?!?!?

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We keep our minds sharp when we learn new skills and socialize with others. You can also do more mentally stimulating activities like putting together puzzles or playing games in your free time.

“If we want our brain to stay in peak condition, we should use it. In fact, one of the theories about reducing or delaying cognitive aging is referred to as the ‘use it or lose it’ theory. Research shows that things like learning languages helps keep us brighter as we age. It is just as important to look after your brain by exercising your thinking skills, as you would do physical exercise to look after your body,” Age UK told Bored Panda.

#22 Mmmm … Hose

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#23 Elders??

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#24 Anyone Stab Their Rubbers

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Meanwhile, whether or not we’re nostalgic about the past will depend a lot on how (un)happy our childhoods were. Child and adolescent therapist Kemi Omijeh, a member of the BACP, previously explained to us that our childhoods are the foundation of who we are as adults. If we had a happy childhood, we’re likely to yearn for the ‘good old days.’ However if we faced a lot of tough times when we were kids, we might not want to reminisce much about the past, instead focusing on the present and future.

#25 I Felt This One Right In The Wallet

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#26 My Back Hurts

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#27 It Was

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“Nostalgia can also be a good coping strategy for times of low mood and challenges,” the therapist told Bored Panda earlier. “If we end up comparing it to our experiences today and feeling like nothing is as good as it was, then this will inevitably affect our mood and our ability to do what we need to do. We can become stuck in our nostalgia; in which case it might be best to seek help from a counseling professional to help you process your past in order to enjoy your present..”

#28 Quality

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#29 We Remember Dial-Up

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#30 I Don’t Feel Like Posting

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Which of these memes about getting older did you vibe with the most, dear Pandas? Were there any particular pics that were a huge blast from the past? Would you love to relive the ‘good old days’ or do you genuinely enjoy life better now? Share your thoughts in the comments. Meanwhile, if you want some more awesome nostalgia and aging memes, check out Bored Panda’s earlier article about the ‘[Heck], I’m Old’ subreddit right over here.

#31 The 27 Installation Disks Of Windows 95

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#32 Mtv Launched 41 Years Ago. Thanks For 15 Years Of Music

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#33 All Released Within 44 Days Of Each Other In 1991

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#34 My Teacher Wife Just Shared This Gem With Me

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#35 Brendan Fraser And Ke Huy Quan, What An Amazing Accomplishment. From Encino Man To Oscar Winners 30+ Years Later

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#36 ?

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#37 The Rock My Generation Grew Up With Is Now Classic Rock ?

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#38 “Who’s That Old Guy With The T-1000?………..oh”

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#39 I Would Sign Up For This

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#40 Almost Every Grandma Had These Magnets On Her Refrigerator. Right!?

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#41 Ringo Starr Is 82 And Somehow Doesn’t Look At A Day Over 45

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#42 This Is Upsetting News

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#43 The Toe Strength Of 2000s Kids/Teens Is Unmatched

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#44 I Still Love Punk/Metal Music. But I’m Slowly Turning Into This Guy At A Slayer Show

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#45 Absolutely!

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#46 The Young Ones Will Never Know This Pain

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#47 Have You Turned Into That Grumpy Old Bastard You Swore You Wouldn’t Become? @ilovenostalgia

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#48 Underground

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#49 I Learned How To Use Html From Myspace

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#50 That Stings

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#51 I’m More Than A Bit Over 30, But This Resonates, Truth Be Told

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#52 Ah Yes

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#53 What Year Is This?????

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#54 Clippy

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#55 I Am Feeling Very Old Rn

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#56 It Really Was A Game Of Winners And Losers

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#57 Life Was Tough Back In The Day

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#58 Nostalgia

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#59 Hope This Fits Here

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#60 We Never Had Syrup Growing Up. Just The Powder In A Can. Had To Pry The Lid Off With The Spoon

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#61 When They Gave You The Worst Seat But You Thought It Was The Best Seat

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#62 I Bought Myself Some Mork Suspenders, And I Always Get Compliments On Them From Teens Most Likely Thinking That I Am An Ally

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#63 How Sad But True Is This?

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#64 Do You Remember These Fisherprice Toys With Their Aeroplane?

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#65 What Is Your Damage?

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#66 How Much Is A Knee Brace Nowadays Anyways?

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#67 Typing In Prices On The Cash Register…only Paper Bags Available, And Paying With A Check! Lol

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#68 10 Years On

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#69 Best Part Of The Week

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#70 Does Anyone Remember This Movie? I Don’t Know Anyone Who Remembers It!

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#71 What, It Isn’t 2012?

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#72 Can You Hear The Pop-O-Matic Bubble?

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#73 Someone At Work Mentioned Letting Their Fingers Do The Walking, And I Was The Only One Who Understood

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#74 This Gum That Lasted About 3 Minutes And Was Always In Mom’s Purse

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#75 Spaceballs 1987

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#76 Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

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#77 Had It

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#78 Don’t Change That Number

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#79 Y2k Ftw

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#80 What Did Yalla Do When You Heard The Mash Theme?

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#81 Another One For The Ogs

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#82 Who Else Remembers The Chaos Of Napster?

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#83 Did Anyone Else Have A Old General Electric Can Opener As A Kid?

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#84 I Know I’m Not The Only One. Am I Right?

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#85 Why?

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#86 Eminem Is Fifty

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#87 Don’t Mistype

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#88 Damn I Forgot About These

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#89 Easily Amused. 🙂

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#90 Every Time

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#91 I See Your Overhead Projector And Raise You A Mimeograph

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#92 Stranger Things Or The Strangest Things

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#93 F*ck, I’m Old…

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#94 Reminder That 30 Isn’t Old

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#95 Our Poor, Poor Fingers

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#96 Gtfo

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#97 Same, Ross. Same. And My Sandwiches Don’t Even Have The Moist Maker

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#98 Just 41?!?

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#99 24 Years Ago, This Sci-Fi Classic Premiered

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#100 I Cant Be The Only One Who Thought This As A Kid

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#101 I’m. So. Oooooolllllldddd!

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#102 Loved Schoolhouse Rock! I’m Just A Bill…rip Creator George Newall

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#103 Simple Times

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#104 Leslie Nielsen Has Been Dead For 12 Years. F**k, Am I That Old?

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#105 Got Me Good

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#106 I Remember These At Every Table As I Ate My Mcnuggets Made With Dark Meat

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#107 You May Be Old……..but Are You This Old

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#108 Direct Quote From My 22 Year Old Intern. “Dude That’s Like One Of Those Old Timey 10 Dollars Bills” (It’s From 1995 Btw)

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#109 I’m Both. Which One Are You? Check In

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#110 I Really Didn’t Need To See This Tweet

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#111 Proctor N Harris

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#112 This Album Hit Stores In 1995

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#113 I Double Checked The Math, Ugh Checks Out

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#114 My Friends, I Give You Phil Collins In Concert

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#115 Did You Know: These Spaceships Are Actually Guitars?

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Source: boredpanda.com