LONDON (AP) 鈥� The year is 2016. Somehow it feels carefree, driven by internet culture. Everyone is wearing over-the-top makeup.
At least, that鈥檚 how Maren N忙vdal, 27, remembers it 鈥� and has seen it on her social feeds in recent days.
For Njeri Allen, also 27, the year was defined by the artists topping the charts that year, from to Drake to Rihanna鈥檚 last music releases. She also remembers the stories and an unforgettable summer with her loved ones. 鈥淓verything felt new, different, interesting and fun,鈥� Allen says.
Many people, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are thinking about 2016 these days. Over the past few weeks, millions have been sharing throwback photos to that time on , kicking off one of the first viral trends of the year 鈥� the year 2026, that is.
With it have come the memes about how various factors 鈥� the sepia hues over Instagram photos, the dog filters on Snapchat and the music 鈥� made even 2016’s worst day feel like the best of times.
Part of the look-back trend鈥檚 popularity has come from the realization that 2016 was already a decade ago 鈥� a time when N忙vdal says she felt like people were doing 鈥渇un, unserious things鈥� before having to grow up.
But experts point to 2016 as a year when the world was on the edge of the social, political and technological developments that make up our lives today. Those same advances 鈥� such as developments under and the 鈥� have increased a yearning for even the recent past, and made it easier to get there.
2016 marked a year of transition
Nostalgia is often driven by a generation coming of age 鈥� and its members realizing they miss what childhood and adolescence felt like. That’s certainly true here. But some of those indulging in the online journeys through time say something more is at play as well.
It has to do with the state of the world 鈥� then and now.
By the end of 2016, people would be looking ahead to moments like Trump鈥檚 first presidential term and repercussions of the United Kingdom leaving the EU after the . A few years after that, the would send most of the world into lockdown and upend life for nearly two years.
Janelle Wilson, a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, says the world was 鈥渙n the cusp of things, but not fully thrown into the dark days that were to come.鈥�
鈥淭he nostalgia being expressed now, for 2016, is due in large part to what has transpired since then,鈥� she says, also referencing the rise of populism and increased . 鈥淔or there to be nostalgia for 2016 in the present,鈥� she added, 鈥淚 still think those kinds of transitions are significant.鈥�
For N忙vdal, 2016 鈥渨as before a lot of the things we鈥檙e dealing with now.” She loved seeing 鈥渉ow embarrassing everyone was, not just me,鈥� in the photos people have shared.
鈥淚t felt more authentic in some ways,鈥� she says. Today, N忙vdal says, 鈥渢he world is going downhill.”
Nina van Volkinburg, a professor of strategic fashion marketing at University of the Arts, London, says 2016 marked the beginning of 鈥渁 new world order鈥� and of 鈥渇ractured trust in institutions and the establishment.” She says it also represented a time of possibility 鈥� and, on social media, 鈥渢he maximalism of it all.鈥�
This was represented in the bohemian fashion popularized in that year, the 鈥渃ut crease鈥� makeup N忙vdal loved and the dance music Allen remembers.
鈥淧eople were new to platforms and online trends, so were having fun with their identity,鈥� van Volkinburg says. 鈥淭here was authenticity around that.鈥�
And 2016 was also the year of the 鈥渂oss babe鈥� and the popularity of , van Volkinburg says, indications of young people coming into adulthood in a year that felt hopeful.
Allen remembers that as the summer she and her friends came of age as high school graduates. She says they all knew then that they would remember 2016 forever.
Ten years on, having moved again to , she said 鈥渦nprecedented things are happening鈥� in the world. 鈥淏oth of my homes are not safe,鈥� she said of the U.S. and Taiwan, 鈥渋t鈥檚 easier to go back to a time that鈥檚 more comfortable and that you felt safe in.鈥�
Feelings of nostalgia are speeding up
In the last few days, N忙vdal decided to hide the social media apps on her phone. AI was a big part of that decision. 鈥淚t freaks me out that you can鈥檛 tell what鈥檚 real anymore,鈥� she said.
鈥淲hen I鈥檝e come off of social media, I feel that at least now I know the things I鈥檓 seeing are real,鈥� she added, 鈥渨hich is quite terrifying.鈥�
The revival of , and a fresh focus on point to nostalgia continuing to dominate trends and culture. Wilson says the feeling has increased as technology makes nostalgia more accessible.
鈥淲e can so readily access the past or, at least, versions of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e to the point where we can say, 鈥橰emember last week when we were doing XYZ? That was such a good time!鈥欌��
Both N忙vdal and Allen described themselves as nostalgic people. N忙vdal said she enjoys looking back to old photos 鈥� especially when they show up as 鈥淥n This Day鈥� updates on her phone, She sends them to friends and family when their photos come up.
Allen wished that she documented more of her 2016 and younger years overall, to reflect on how much she has evolved and experienced since.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what life could be,鈥� she said of that time. 鈥淚 would love to be able to capture my thought process and my feelings, just to know how much I have grown.鈥�
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