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It’s 2026 … So Why Is Everyone Suddenly Obsessed with 2016? Here’s the Reason for This Nostalgic Trend

In 2016, my closet was full of going-out tops, skinny jeans and one coveted black choker. I slurped down Moscow mules with abandon while The Chainsmokers’s “Closer” thumped in the background. I was 23, and life was good.

I’ve been reflecting on 2016 since the beginning of 2026, when people began sharing TikTok videos and Instagram carousels recalling the good times they had that year. The pink drinks and grainy Insta snaps of 2016 certainly made it, well, different. But was it really that great a year? Or do we miss 2016 for another reason entirely?

To find out, I spoke to a psychologist who researches nostalgia and its impact on our lives. Spoiler alert: Looking back at the past can actually be a good thing. Here’s what the science says about reminiscing—and how to hop on this feel-good trend.

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Why is 2016 trending in 2026?

It’s normal to look back 10 years at the start of a new year, but the 2016 trend is about more than that. According to Cathy R. Cox, PhD, a professor of psychology at Texas Christian University, social media’s fixation on the mid-2000s has more to do with the modern day.

“People often become nostalgic when the present feels overwhelming or uncertain,” Cox explains. “There’s a lot happening in our world right now—politics feel unstable, technology is changing rapidly and many people are unsure what the future looks like for them personally.”

For social media users like author Suanny Garcia-Barales, who shared an Instagram carousel reflecting on 2016, this trend is about finding comfort in the past. “It feels like a time when we weren’t as burdened as we are today,” she told me in a chat on Instagram. “The world felt a little lighter, and I think that’s something everyone appreciates.”

Where did the “2016 in 2026” trend start?

It’s hard to trace the exact beginning of the “2016 in 2026” trend, but a few social media users posted viral reflective posts on New Year’s Eve. On Dec. 31, 2025, TikTok user @taybrafang shared a throwback montage of all things 2016 with the text “a decade ago TONIGHT,” which garnered thousands of likes and shares.

Celebs quickly hopped on the trend, helping it take off. Shay Mitchell, who starred in the very 2016 hit TV show Pretty Little Liars, posted a carousel on Instagram in early January that read, “I heard 2026 is the new 2016 and I’m so okay with it 👌.”

Thousands of commenters joined in, saying things like, “Bring back this rainbow palette omg the memories” and “This is giving me major nostalgia.”

What was so great about the year 2016?

Life wasn’t necessarily better in 2016—there were still awful things happening in the United States, including mass shootings and widespread inequality. But reminiscing is a common coping mechanism during societal unrest and uncertainty, which we face in 2026. “The past becomes a kind of mental safe place, even if it wasn’t perfect at the time,” Cox says.

Let’s take a look at what was going on in 2016.

Politics

Barack Obama’s eight years in office helped Americans feel hopeful, and during his last year, 2016, many citizens voted for America’s first female presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. When Donald Trump won the November 2016 election, it marked a turning point in the country and sparked division.

“The 2016 presidential election is often remembered as the moment when political divisions in the United States became much more visible,” Cox says. “As time passes, events like this take on symbolic meaning and turn into collective markers people use to make sense of how the social and political climate has changed.”

Social media

In 2016, people used social media in a completely different way. Instead of millions of influencer wannabes hocking everything from fast fashion to supplements to luxury vacations, most users shared images of ordinary life. Perhaps it was a flatlay of avocado toast at brunch or a (heavily) filtered snap of a Starbucks latte to reflect your personality. The goal was still to connect with family, friends and followers, not catch the attention of rapidly scrolling strangers.

Smartphones weren’t as advanced, so low-resolution photos and oversaturated filters were the norm. Selfies focused on being silly via the iconic Snapchat dog filter. Twitter was still a safe place for posting unedited streams of consciousness. In other words, posting on social media felt less like a job or like wading into shark-infested waters.

Notably, social media was also much less video-centric, so it consumed less of our time. That helped us be more present in everyday life.

Pop culture

It was a great year for music, with bangers like Drake’s “One Dance” and Rihanna’s “Work” to amp us up for every pregame. In 2016, Justin Bieber had officially grown up, and the girlies couldn’t stop singing “Lush Life” by Zara Larsson.

As for television, fewer streaming services (and less content on them) meant more of us were watching the same things at the same time, helping us feel more connected through pop culture. There were regular water-cooler moments bringing everyone together—think: Monday morning chats about the latest Game of Thrones. And since Twitter was still the internet’s water cooler (and algorithms hadn’t yet siloed us), the entire country could get in on the play-by-play of the infamous Battle of the Bastards episode.

In 2016, reality television was peak Bachelor Nation, and we were still enamored with the lives of the Kardashians. Stranger Things entered the chat, and we were never the same.

Fashion

Chokers, army jackets and off-the-shoulder shirts dominated wardrobes in 2016. As Chloe Fimiano reminded me in an Instagram video, 2016 was also the year that BDG brand skinny jeans had an absolute chokehold on 20-somethings. And let’s not forget the Coachella-inspired “boho” feather outfits that bordered on cultural appropriation.

Wearing these clothes today would be decidedly out of style. Yet the distinctness of 2016 clothes suggests a kind of innovation in fashion compared with the trends of today, which feel like a rerun of the early 2000s. The baggy pants, claw clips, baby tees, oval sunglasses and kitten heels taking over feeds? Already seen them—and no, I’m never going back to low-rise jeans.

Beyond that, though, trends in this era had greater staying power. In the age of TikTok, a trend is in for a blip in time before it’s outdated and replaced with another … and another, and another. That fast-moving cycle can be exhausting and expensive, so it’s no wonder we’re nostalgic for an earlier time.

Are all generations feeling the 2016 nostalgia?

Younger Millennials and older Gen Z adults—people born between 1990 and 2002—are feeling this 2016 nostalgia the strongest. That’s because they were between the ages of 14 and 26, a formative time in our lives that we associate with strong memories.

“That period can feel emotionally significant, making it a natural point for nostalgic reflection,” Cox says.

Older Millennials, Gen X and Boomers aren’t feeling the same love for 2016. It isn’t that they’re not nostalgic for their own formative years, but that theirs were decades earlier. To them, 2016 doesn’t feel as special.

Why is this sort of nostalgia actually very 2026?

Ironically, the trend of looking back at 2016 is very on-brand for 2026 because nostalgia itself is very much a vibe. One of the hottest trends among Gen Z is the “analog bag,” a tote filled with screen-free activities, such as magazines, sketchbooks, needlework and film cameras.

Memory-focused travel is also trending, including fun kidulting trips, like going to a summer camp for adults or visiting the set of your fave childhood TV show. Gen Z’s obsession with all things Y2K even has its own term: anemoia. Coined by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, the word anemoia describes the feeling of nostalgia for a time you never lived through.

Cox explains that even if people didn’t experience a cultural moment, they can still revisit it together for a sense of connection. “Nostalgia isn’t just about missing the past,” she adds. “It can help us feel steadier, more hopeful and better able to handle what’s ahead.”

Is getting hung up on 2016 a smart idea?

Reflecting on the past is actually healthy! I can’t deny that I love taking a trip down memory lane, but I don’t want to completely ignore the important issues of today. Here’s the good news: A little bit of nostalgia can make you more satisfied with your life.

As the director of Texas Christian University’s Existential Social Psychology Research Lab, Cox has conducted research showing that nostalgic scrolling on social media can actually promote well-being and social connectedness, including increased levels of self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction. Other research suggests that nostalgia can trigger a sense of optimism about your health, which in turn can lead to increased physical activity.

How can you get in the swing of 2016 right now?

To really feel the nostalgia from that year (and its mood-boosting effects), try these low-stakes tactics:

  • Use social media as if it were 2016. Avoid doomscrolling, and create a healthier boundary between your real self and your digital self.
  • Make a playlist of the music you loved in 2016 to bring back the good vibes.
  • Binge TV shows from 2016, especially with friends, to get back into the mindset you were in then.
  • Reconnect with friends you loved to hang out with in 2016, look at old photos together and maybe even plan a reunion.
  • Think about what you loved in 2016. Bring back some of your favorite recipes, skin-care products or daily habits.
  • Plan a trip to a place you visited that year.

As you relive 2016, remember that the benefits of nostalgia lie in recognizing how much you’ve changed (and how much growing you have left to do). “Nostalgia helps people feel like their lives make sense over time—as if there’s a thread connecting who they were, who they are now and who they’re becoming,” Cox says.

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About the expert

  • Cathy R. Cox, PhD, is a professor at Texas Christian University who specializes in nostalgia and relationships. She is the lab director at the university’s Existential Social Psychology Research Lab.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

Gen Z Is Changing the Travel Game

Books About Multigen Friendships

Generations Have Been Clashing for Centuries

The post It’s 2026 … So Why Is Everyone Suddenly Obsessed with 2016? Here’s the Reason for This Nostalgic Trend appeared first on Reader's Digest.



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