- - 2026 is the new 2016: Why so many people are posting throwback photos from a decade ago on social media

Kaitlin ReillyJanuary 15, 2026 at 11:02 PM

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Do you remember what you were doing in 2016? The year is stirring up serious nostalgia on social media.

On TikTok, the phrase “2026 is the new 2016” is trending, with many people sharing videos about what TikToker Cam Sackett called in a recent video our last “great year.” Some are reminiscing about the trends that were popular, while others are simply celebrating the vibes, hoping to replicate them one decade later.

“When you hear 2026 is projected to be like 2016 and 2016 was one of the best years of your life,” one elated TikToker wrote over a video of herself dancing in the kitchen.

Some people are so hyped about the trend that they’re dancing on TikTok to bangers popular in 2016, like Fetty Wap’s (technically 2015 hit) “679.” Some are dusting off their old Kylie Cosmetics makeup, born during Kylie Jenner’s “King Kylie era,” which was enormously popular during 2016. And more than 200 million videos on TikTok have now used the so-called 2016 filter to make everything rosy, the way we did back in the day for pretty much every photo and video we shared on social media.

Celebrities are getting in on the 2016-celebrating trend too. Lily Collins shared a slideshow of pics from the year on Instagram, writing, “I'm not sure why we decided 2016 is back, but wow, it really was a vibe …”

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Meanwhile, Charlie Puth shared a rosy-hued Instagram video, set to his 2016 song with Selena Gomez “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” writing in the caption, “Heard it was 2016 again?”

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And Shay Mitchell also posted a series of throwback photos, including some with her Pretty Little Liars castmates — and of course, a video with Snapchat’s iconic puppy dog filter. “I heard 2026 is the new 2016 and I’m so okay with it,” she wrote on Instagram.

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The food website Eater even posted a slideshow of food trends from the year on Instagram, which included rolled ice cream and, of course, avocado toast.

Why is 2016 fueling such nostalgia?

Part of the fascination, according to social media users, is that 2016 feels like the last year before the world shifted. In the macro sense, it marked the final year of President Barack Obama’s two-term presidency, and the ushering in of the Trump era. It was in 2016 that the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, known as Brexit.

But the year was also huge for pop culture, marking the debut of the recently wrapped Stranger Thingsand the release of Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Selena Gomez’s Instagram feed was elite, the Chainsmokers’ “Closer” played nonstop on the radio, and Hamilton was a hot ticket. Everyone was obsessed with Snapchat’s puppy dog filter, and Pokémon Go had us in a chokehold. A pink Starbucks drink was worthy of photographing.

In a July 2025 TikTok, brand strategist Joel Marlinarson said that Gen Z, in particular, is obsessed with the aesthetic of 2016. Why? According to Marlinarson, it’s because the younger generation — born between 1997 and 2012, making them barely old enough to fully experience 2016 as sentient beings — yearns to go back to a time on the internet “before overly curated photo dumps.”

“It's not just about pretending to relive your Starbucks run nine years ago for Gen Z,” he explained. “2016 meant being carefree with less performative social content and not being so chronically online.”

Of course, 2016 was hardly perfect. The world lost David Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher and other icons that year, and the 2016 election in November divided a nation. But nostalgia has a way of putting a filter on the past — dare we say, a rose-colored one reminiscent of the popular Instagram filter? For those looking to the past to remember some pre-chaos optimism, 2016 will likely always be a banner year.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”