Our collective nostalgia for 2016
In 2026, students have been looking to carry trends with them from a decade ago into the new year. Skinny jeans, chokers, and ballet flats are all included in this 2016 revival. Beyond fashion trends, mindsets like “millenial optimism” and anti-cringe culture are also making a comeback. This phenomenon can be heavily seen on the Samo campus, with students revisiting their childhood nostalgia.
2016 was also known for its famous social media trends, such as the “mannequin challenge”, in which a group of people stayed completely still while a camera panned around the room, as the song "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd played in the background. This trend has been resurfacing on social media recently, especially on TikTok.
The search on Snapchat for filters has gone up by 613 percent within the last year, with the iconic 2016 puppy dog filter being the most popular. Some media experts have perceived this resurgence in 2016 social media trends, especially the filters, to be a subtle defiance against artificial intelligence (AI) media. They believe that the toxic effects of beauty filters and highly specialized algorithms has run its length, and that people strive to go back to the more carefree days of social media. To some, social media has become a dark place in 2026 dictated by beauty standards and “cringe culture”.
Amy Palmer, media and entertainment expert from Fox News, expanded on this phenomenon.
Art by Sara Polster
“You're looking at a video and thinking, is this real, is this picture real? In 2016, that wasn't even our thoughts,” Palmer said.“We posted photos. We didn't care if they were filtered. We were having fun. We were living our lives.”
2016 was an iconic year for music, including Justin Bieber's “Love Yourself”, Beyonce’s “Lemonade”, Drake’s “One Dance”, Rihanna’s “Work” and Sia’s “Cheap Thrills”. This was a year of upbeat, optimistic music with a rise in popularity of Hip-Hop, such as artists 21 Savage, Metro Boomin and Lil Yachty– artists that many Samo students grew up listening to.
“Millenial optimism” is also a key factor in the 2016 nostalgia, which describes an era in the early 2010s to 2016 where it was believed to be a simpler time, with indie music, hipster fashion and affordable prices. Gen Z has been romanticizing this lifestyle on TikTok, perceiving 2016 as a happier time for all. It’s been a common trend over the past years to make fun of millennials for “cringy” posts and “unfunny” humor, but a turn in mindsets has risen recently, and many Gen Z have been posting videos admitting that millennials were happier and more free from restraints of “cringe” culture.
Manal Antonatos (’27) explained her feelings on the subject.
“I think that people want to bring back a time where there was no stress and fun vibes, and want to let go of anything that’s holding them down by putting their mindset in a very fun era, which I think 2016 mirrors,” Antonatos said. “I think people take things too seriously and get embarrassed a lot. We should go back to a time where nothing was embarrassing and we can just express ourselves the way we want.”
From wearing skinny jeans to practicing "millennial optimism" and listening to Sky Ferreira, students can be seen looking to express their nostalgia and bring back the carefree lifestyle that is 2016.