2016 Then vs. Now: Was That “So Ten Years Ago?”

2016 set the trends. 2026 lives in them. Whether it was low rise jeans or Instagram colored filters, 2016’s memes and ideologies are making a comeback in 2026. Every few years, an old meme, song, or fashion trend recirculates almost as if comfort and stability is needed. We yearn for a time before AI, brainrot, and doom-scrolling algorithms and desire simpler fads as a way to escape modern pressures. Without further ado, grab your Snapchat filters, sense of nostalgia, and dive into the trends of 2016 from all around.

I’m certain that 2016's trendiest songs are a blast from the past. Hits by artists from Justin Bieber to Drake make beats like these too catchy to ignore. This was the year for Snap stories and fancy Starbucks frappuccinos. But these trends aren’t completely gone forever: my feed has been covered with Snapchat filters and the wave of low rise jeans. “Closer” by the Chainsmokers is unanimously the audio for every Instagram reel, while Zara Larsson’s “Lush Life” has reentered the realm of nostalgia. This year recycles memes that were used in 2016 and plaster them on everyone's doomscrolling algorithm.

Nowadays, we can’t just look at 2016 through a Snapchat filter; iconic events from cultural awakenings, political upheaval, to entertainment galore. Social media was implemented to share the news and it was often used in a more light-hearted matter. Though we bring in similar dualities from that year, 2026 gains its own differences as well. Now, the dependence on social media for information is often blurred with its own filter of AI-generated misinformation, and the news is covered with tragedy and chaos that we didn’t need to bring attention to ten years ago.

So, the question still follows: even amid extreme change, can 2016 truly be brought back into our modern day society? As we open up our phones, we should make our main goal to use nostalgia as a vehicle to benefit the world. Instead of spreading misinformation on social media, let’s spread color through our filters, thoughts, and ideas to remind us that there is time for togetherness and simplicity.