The 'Be Careful Who You Call Ugly in Middle School' meme, also known as the 'Glow Up' challenge, originally surfaced as a way for social media users to showcase their physical transformation from awkward adolescence to adulthood. Starting in the mid-2010s, the format typically features a side-by-side comparison of a 'before' photo from middle school and an 'after' photo of the person looking their best. While it began as a sincere celebration of puberty and personal style evolution, the internet quickly turned it into a comedic template. Now, it is frequently used ironically to show absurd 'evolutions' of fictional characters, inanimate objects, or even video game graphics, serving as a versatile tool for both genuine pride and satirical commentary.