Flower crowns, Snapchat dog filters and oversaturated Rio de Janeiro posts dominate the Instagram feed. People are blasting The Chainsmokers and recreating the Mannequin Challenge. For nostalgic millennials, this is a throwback to what people are calling the “happiest time” of their lives—2016.
Since the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2026, the internet has embarked on a mission to make 2026 the new 2016, recapturing the essence of a decade ago.
While influencers have fun posting their favorite memories of the—sometimes cringe-worthy—person they used to be, they raise deeper questions of what made 2016 so special.
Something Real
Only six years into Instagram’s life, many users were young and excited to share themselves with the world in 2016. Posts were less curated and more spontaneous, creating an aesthetic that has all but been abandoned over the past decade.
“I wasn’t thinking about the algorithm or whether something would ‘do well.’ I was just posting blurry flash photos, random outfits in front of a white wall and fun, candid moments with my friends,” influencer and podcast host Danielle Carolan told Newsweek.
“It was one of the last eras where posting online felt truly organic… I was living my life first and posting later,” Carolan continued.
In many ways, people felt closer to their followers than they do today, creating a safe space on the internet that no longer exists.
“It was a time when Instagram, Facebook and Twitter still felt vaguely personalized and safe. You actually saw updates from your friends rather than a cacophony of screaming, angry strangers,” Glamour writes.
Ten years later, in a world where photos are highly edited and influencers do things just to show off, this break from obsessively curated lifestyles is refreshing.
“I’ve always tried to embrace less perfection in my posts, and I think that mindset probably comes from that era!” influencer Kate Norkeliunas told Newsweek.
“People were just sharing moments as they were, without overthinking them,” Norkeliunas added.
‘You kinda had to be there’
In an effort to bring this energy into the new year, social media has been flooded with nostalgia-seekers posting throwback photos. Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Shay Mitchell and Trisha Paytas—and even brands like Aquaphor—are jumping on the bandwagon.
Some of these snaps give loyal followers a look into influencer’s lives before they were famous, making the 2016 experience feel universal.
“It’s strangely comforting to see newer friends and influencers I follow experiencing that year in such similar ways before I even knew them,” Carolan told Newsweek.
This camaraderie has united the internet in its nostalgia, collectively expressing a desire for simpler, more carefree times.
“However good you think 2016 was, it was a thousand times better,” influencer Tinx said in a video.
Tinx has been embracing this nostalgia, remarking to Newsweek that 2016 was “the happiest time.”
Living Like It’s 2016
This movement marks a shift in how people are approaching social media entering the new year. In a world where curation has taken over, Instagram users want to take a step back and go back to their roots—creating less rigid content.
“The new trend has nostalgia at its heart, as those participating are often expressing a longing for what many are describing as a simpler time,” writes People.
Looking forward to the rest of 2026, skinny jeans and chokers may make a comeback. But, Norkeliunas told Newsweek, some trends can be remembered fondly without being revisited.
“As for what can stay in the past: heavy filters.”
