Oh look. Another day, another #2016 post in my feed. Because apparently, we couldn’t survive the trauma of 2026 without reposting what we wore ten years ago. Honestly, I didn’t know I needed to see everyone’s awkward bangs, early VSCO filters, and questionable mirror selfies again, but here we are.
Let’s be honest: 2026 is exhausting. Everyone’s scrolling like zombies through perfectly curated lives while pretending they’re “inspired.” Cue nostalgia, that comforting little lie that life used to be simpler. And somehow, 2016 looks better. Less filtered. Less performative. Less stress. People didn’t have to fake a vibe for the feed. Their snacks weren’t staged. And yes, friendships didn’t come with hashtags.
Nostalgia: AKA Therapy Without a Therapist
Psychologists call this retrospective coping. Translation: when life burns you out, your brain cheats by romanticizing the past. Hence, 2016 is trending like it’s the second coming of cool. Honestly, it’s less about the trend and more about wanting human moments back, awkward, messy, and unfiltered.
And of course, the algorithm is there for moral support. You know, nudging you: “Oh, everyone’s posting throwbacks? You better too, or are you irrelevant?” Social proof, dopamine, FOMO, the perfect cocktail that makes us all look like clones of our own past selves.
Why Are We Following Everything the Gram Tells Us?
Because trends = belonging, and belonging = validation. And validation = a tiny dopamine hit we’ll take over actual self-respect any day. Sure, we pretend it’s fun, but let’s be honest: we’re just doing what the algorithm says, reposting our lives like obedient little robots while calling it “authentic content.”
What We’re Actually Craving
The 2016 obsession isn’t cute. It’s a symptom. We’re overworked, overstimulated, and overthinking our relevance. We want stories that feel human. Raw. Messy. Real. Moments that don’t come with a caption like “just vibes lol”. Because apparently, that’s too hard in 2026.
Anna-lyse’s Take
Personally? Seeing all these 2016 posts made me laugh, cringe, and sigh, sometimes at the same time. It reminded me that life used to be simpler, faces weren’t filtered to death, and Instagram was a photo album, not a competition for existential relevance.
So here’s my advice: go ahead, scroll your #2016 nostalgia trip. Laugh at your old bangs. Shake your head at your awkward selfies. But remember, the past is cute, but living now? Way better if you stop doing everything the algorithm tells you.
And if you really want a throwback, try this radical idea: live a moment without documenting it for validation. Crazy, right?
ALSO READ: WHY DOLCE & GABBANA’S MEN’S SHOW SPARKED A FASHION-WIDE BACKLASH.
