Opinion by HannahTaylor

Rio de Janeiro filter, dog filters, house parties … all staples of the ephemeral, optimistic era of 2016. However, it seems these times aren’t fleeting, but in fact back and better than ever. The “2026 is the new 2016” trend is making its rounds across the Internet — but is it really back? Or just a reflection of our desire to return to a more nostalgic time?

2016 was ten years ago this year, and as the cyclical trend machine predicts, the Internet’s desire to be in any time period but itself is back. There is no debate whether this trend is real, but there is the question of why. Perhaps it’s just the trend cycle doing its thing, perhaps it’s a reaction to the isolation of COVID-19 or maybe it’s even a recession indicator. 

It can be argued that this trend is just the product of new marketing campaigns. Companies using nostalgia to profit off of consumers is nothing new, and it can be argued 2016 has just become their next victim. While it makes plenty of sense, this conclusion is rather disappointing. It’s just the same tactic painted in new — or should I say — old colors. Which leads to even more intriguing possibilities. 

One such possibility is that this 2016 trend is in response to the isolation and darkness associated with 2020 and quarantine. While 2020 may feel like it was ages ago, the impacts left by COVID-19 and the ensuing isolation are still visible. 

Concert etiquette, community activities, and a world not so reliant on technology feels ancient. 2016 coming back could be a way of branding habits like being less attached to technology and craving community as cutesy and not a lost coping mechanism. The implications of 2016’s revival all being in an effort to ward off the wary feelings associated with a different time such as 2020 are confusing to say the least. 

There are more questions than answers with this explanation, such as why we didn’t bring 2016 back sooner, or why not 2015 or 2014? 

My personal conclusion is that 2016 is the golden child of the decade. Ever since 2016 happened, the year has been held in high regard. The aesthetic surrounding 2016 was chronologically in the perfect frame. Far from the confusing and dated social media posts from the early 2010s, but not as saturated and awkward as the social media landscape leading into 2020. 2016 is like the cooler older sister of 2012, but not so old she’s going through the same midlife crisis as 2019. The airbrushed aesthetic of 2016 and the youthful feelings connected to the year make it feel inevitable that it came back into style. 

However, my personal favorite — and most dramatic — explanation for the 2016 revival is that it is part of a larger movement of recession indicators. 2016 was a period of political turmoil with an unexpected presidential successor. 

Similarly, the 2024 election brought domestic and foreign tension into the U.S. that has become more obvious entering 2026. While technically the U.S. is not in a recession, it can be argued it is in the midst of a job recession, with many finding their job searches drying up and employers being unable to fill positions.

Ever since the pandemic, store hours have gotten shorter, businesses have gone bankrupt and more people are working remotely. Those are the real indicators, but there are more indirect signs that the internet has coined.

These include a return to crowded areas, pop music and excessive fashion pieces. All of these trends seem to be directly associated with 2016. From this, it can be concluded that this 2016 trend is just a glorified way of categorizing all of these recession indicators and giving it a cutesy filter.

But in any case, these conclusions imply that this return to 2016 is only in an effort to return to a better time. We like to hide behind nostalgia, unable to confront the present — or worse, the future. 

Although we continue to recycle trends and styles, that does not mean we should recycle our old beliefs and habits as individuals or a society. Instead, we should use the resurfacing of a past time to examine why we are running from the now, and confront the now because of it.

All illustrations by AlainaKroll.