At a Glance
- Instagram users are posting 2016 throwback photos featuring VSCO filters, chokers, and bold makeup
- The trend marks exactly 10 years since 2016, with many calling “2026 is the new 2016”
- Some push back, citing tragedies like the Pulse nightclub shooting and Brexit vote
- Why it matters: The wave of nostalgia shows how social media users romanticize pre-pandemic life and simpler online communities
Instagram feeds are flashing back to 2016. In the past two weeks, celebrities and everyday users have unearthed hyper-filtered photos of matte lips, winged eyeliner, and dog-filter selfies, igniting a mass throwback wave that labels 2026 as “the new 2016.”
The Signature Look
The photos share unmistakable hallmarks of mid-2010s culture:
- Matte liquid lipstick and sharply contoured cheekbones
- Bold eyebrows, smoky eyes, and chokers
- Acai bowls, boxed water, and Coachella-inspired boho outfits
- VSCO filters cranked to maximum saturation
“When I’m seeing people’s 2016 posts, even if they were in different states or slightly different ages, there’s all these similarities, like that dog filter or those chokers or The Chainsmokers,” said Katrina Yip, who joined the trend. “It makes it so funny to realize that we were all part of this big movement that we didn’t really even know at the time was, like, just following the trend of that time.”
Why 2016 Feels Like “The Good Old Days”
For many millennials and older Gen Zers, the year represents the last gasp of a carefree internet era. Social media felt intimate: chronological feeds ended when friends stopped posting, and platforms seemed “a little bit less malicious” in design, said Steffy Degreff, 38, who shared her own throwbacks.
Degreff believes 2016 closed the golden age when people still felt good about the internet and politics-before the pandemic and algorithmic overload.
Others remember life before adulthood responsibilities:
- Paige Lorentzen, 31, posted photos featuring brands like Boxed Water Is Better and Triangl Swimwear
- She recalled senior year by the beach, minimal college classes, and a “carefree young California girl era”
- “Everything felt like summer,” Lorentzen said, contrasting it with today’s neutral-toned “quiet luxury” aesthetic
The Backlash
Not everyone wants to time-travel. Know Your Meme notes that as “2026 is the new 2016” spread, some users pushed back:
| Criticism | Example |
|---|---|
| General warning | “Why is everyone trying to bring back 2016? Please don’t actually” – X user |
| Negative memories | “i thought we all agreed that was a terrible year” – X user |
| Media skepticism | The Cut headlined its coverage: “Who would want to relive this?” |
Detractors cite 2016’s low points:
- The UK voting to leave the European Union (Brexit)
- The Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 and wounded 53
- Police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
- A widespread Zika outbreak
Pre-Creator Culture
Content creator Teala Dunn, who rose to YouTube fame in the mid-2010s, remembers 2016 as “fun and freedom and lightheartedness.” Back then:
- Fewer people identified as creators
- Friends posted silly content without worrying about brand deals
- Viral fame felt spontaneous, not algorithmically engineered
“It was OK to be cringey, you know?” Yip said. “People were just posting for their friends.”
Dunn argues today’s landscape is drastically more parasocial, with easier harassment and higher personal stakes. She now scales back how much of her life she reveals online.
Key Takeaways
- Nostalgia for 2016 centers on a simpler, friend-driven social media experience
- The throwback trend highlights generational divides: those who lived it online vs. those who didn’t
- Critics warn romanticizing any era ignores its real-world problems
- Whether viewed as colorful and carefree or troubled and regressive, 2016 is dominating 2026’s social conversation
