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Get in, loser, we’re going back to 2016.
Open Instagram this week, and you’d think you were back in the early days of Tumblr and Snapchat. Think Lo-Fi selfies, thick winged eyeliner, and the dog-ear Snapchat filter — the days when “Mean Girls” quotes (which came out in 2004 but remains a quintessential millennial movie) and chunky statement necklaces reigned supreme.
People on Instagram and TikTok, influencers and regular folks alike, have been posting throwback pictures from 2016.
In some posts, millennials openly mourned for the halcyon days of 2016, when they were free to wear skinny jeans without being scorned by Gen Z co-workers, some 20 pounds lighter, and juicing up their feeds with the Clarendon and Gingham Instagram filters.
It was also a huge year for music, yielding 2010s-defining pop hits like The Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself,” and Alan Walker’s “Faded.”
No surprise, millennials are craving a walk down memory lane.
Kar Brulhart, a Mexico City-based social media strategist and coach, said 2016 is trending because of nostalgia and a broader shift toward analogue — think paperback books, flip phones, and digital cameras.
But beyond that, Brulhart said, revisiting the 2016 era provides relief.
“Especially in the US, where the political and cultural climate feels increasingly charged, people genuinely don’t know what — or how — to post anymore. Revisiting that era gives people a socially acceptable break from having to respond, react, or perform relevance,” she said.
2016 in celebrity culture
Celebrities like Charlie Puth, Eva Longoria, Lucy Hale, and Karlie Kloss have jumped on the trend, posting awkward, unglamorous selfies.
Kylie Jenner’s 2016 post on Thursday, captioned “You just had to be there,” has gotten over 2.4 million likes as of press time. The “Keeping up with the Kardashians” star posted pictures of herself wearing skinny jeans, black Converse high tops, and her iconic Kylie Lip Kit.
Makeup artist and beauty influencer James Charles revived a full 2016 cut-crease eyeshadow routine in a TikTok video on Wednesday, which has garnered about 5.6 million views.
Others used the trend to remember milestones. John Legend posted a picture of himself and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, sharing a kiss after the birth of their first child in 2016.
And brands wasted no time capitalizing on the throwback trend. LA-based fashion brand Reformation posted pictures of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Emily Ratajkowski in its 2016 range with the caption, “We miss 2016 too.”
Longing for a simpler, more authentic time
The trend reveals a yearning for a simpler time, social media and PR experts say.
Hailey Bailey, the founder of Los Angeles-based PR and talent management firm Image PR, said the trend is a result of millennials like herself “craving the innocence, promise, and naivety of our summer 2016 selves.”
“I think most millennials look at where they are at in life right now and think, ‘Wow, I thought I’d be in a different place,'” Bailey said. “Many of us can’t afford to buy a house anytime soon, or haven’t found the right partner, or are so career-focused we can’t even think about having children.”
Brulhart said that in 2016, chronological posts were the only way to experience Instagram. That was before Reels, AI-generated “slop,” and hyper-clean, aesthetic-first feeds took over the app.
“There was far less curation, and people weren’t trying to brand themselves with every post,” she said. “They were documenting life as it happened, not worrying about the likes or engagement.”
The trend felt like a gentle moment of reflection to her.
“It’s not about wanting to go backward, but about remembering a version of ourselves that perhaps felt lighter,” Brulhart said.
Feature image credit: Melodie Jeng/Getty Images
