2026 Is The New 2016—Here's Everything We Miss During Those (Simpler) Times

Lately, if you scroll long enough, you'll notice a weird little trend: Everyone online is suddenly obsessed with 2016. From memes, TikToks, and Instagram edits—people are reminiscing about what we wore, the music we played, the way we used the Internet. Some are even proclaiming that 2026 is the new 2016.

And TBH, it kind of makes sense. 2016 was by no means perfect—politically, socially, globally, it was messy AF. 😬 But culture-wise, it had a pulse that made us feel so... alive. Fashion was bold and daring, beauty was a whole lot of playing and experimenting with makeup, and the music just hit differently.

I was 17 at the time, in my second year of college, and growing up right in the thick of it. I was blasting "Closer" by The Chainsmokers and Halsey on repeat, lusting over the Kylie Cosmetics liquid lip kits, and using every Snapchat filter you could think of. (Yes, the dog and flower crown filters were my fave.)

So yes, we're scrolling through our archives, hitting replay on old playlists, and remembering the aesthetics, the moments, and the people that made that year feel like… a time we actually lived in. Take a trip down memory lane with us and reminisce on all the 2016 things we wanna see come back (not that some of them ever left, anyway):

It's hard to believe, but 2016 was only 10(!!) years ago—yet here we are, nostalgic and craving it like it was a lifetime ago. From TikTok to Reddit to Instagram, creators and meme accounts are calling it the year to bring back, with fashion, music, aesthetics, and early social media trends all resurfacing. Even older apps and platforms that once felt niche, like Snapchat and Tumblr, are getting a second life in the digital conversation.

Cultural commentators say part of it is cyclical—trends often come back about a decade later—but there's also an emotional pull: 2016 feels like a simpler, more chaotic, more human time online (with less screen time and digital burnout), before social media became ultra-polished and algorithm-driven. People are craving things that feel tactile, raw, and real. That's why anything analog is trending again, too—journals, disposable cameras, handwritten notes—and why 2016, with its playful chaos, Tumblr moodboards, early Snapchat antics, and iconic pop culture moments, feels like a nostalgic escape we didn't know we needed.

They weren't flashy, but they were an essential, and honestly, a classic that still holds up 10 years later. The fashion was bold and playful—chokers, bomber jackets, and skinny jeans paired with oversized shirts—and the Superstars held them all together. It was a shoe that could paired well with everything and somehow never looked like you were trying too hard.

There was a time when you couldn't walk more than two blocks without seeing someone dressed up in something from the ASAP Rocky x GUESS collaboration. From bold stripes, oversized logos, and unexpected pops of color, this collab made fashion feel fun, fresh, and actually made you want to dress up (and show it off on Snapchat, lol).

Before influencer culture became polished and reliant on the algorithm, Bretman was loud, charismatic, and magnetic—things he still is to this day. Does anyone remember his funny (but actually informative) viral makeup tutorial, or his chaotic videos with his sister, Princess Mae? He made beauty feel fearless and fun, and was proof that having a personality will get you places.

It wasn't just her matte lips and perfectly overlined cupid's bows—everything about Kylie was a moment. Hair colors, outfits, collabs, the songs she was vibing to—it all became aspirational, shareable, and mimicked. Watching her move through the year was like watching culture happen in real time: Every look, every post, every product drop set the Internet buzzing.

Blinding highlight, liquid lipsticks that refused to budge (and made our lips look dry AF, but we didn't care), carved block eyebrows—makeup in 2016 wasn't casual at all. In fact, it was a far cry from the clean girl makeup that's been the norm for years now. Doing your face 10 years ago was part of your personality, and mastering it felt like an accomplishment.

In 2016, Snapchat and Tumblr weren't about perfection—they were all about personality. On Snapchat, bad lighting, flower crown filters (or dog ears!), and doing Streaks with friends (and getting mad when someone would break it, lol) made the Internet feel private and spontaneous. On Tumblr, you could create moodboards, obsess over fandoms, reblog aesthetic photos, and post whatever felt raw and real. Together, they captured the unpolished, chaotic, yet intimate energy of being chronically online in 2016.

"Closer" by The Chainsmokers, "Hotline Bling" by Drake, Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" and "Sorry," Rihanna's "Work" and "Needed Me," The Weeknd's "Starboy"—these songs weren't just hits. They became emotional markers for all the parties, late-night drives, heartaches, and friendships, embedding themselves into moments and memories we still remember vividly to this day.