As 2026 began, social media platforms were expected to fill with forward-looking posts centred on resolutions and plans for the year ahead. Instead, timelines across Instagram and TikTok were quickly populated with images, videos and references to a decade earlier, as users collectively turned their attention back to 2016.
The trend, commonly described online as “2026 is the new 2016”, has prompted widespread sharing of archival content from that year. Users have been posting photos and videos from a decade ago and reminiscing. The movement has gained traction globally, with both everyday users and public figures taking part.
Several Indian celebrities have also hopped onto the bandwagon. From Kareena Kapoor to Alia Bhatt and even Hollywood celebrities have engaged in the trend.
Instagram itself acknowledged the trend. The platform’s official account published multiple posts revisiting moments from 2016, a year that also coincided with a significant design change for the company, when it replaced its original camera logo with the multicoloured icon that remains in use today.
Through Instagram Stories, the platform highlighted several usage details from that period, including the fact that Selena Gomez was the most-followed account on the app in 2016. Instagram also revisited the emojis that were most frequently used by its global user base at the time.
Alongside platform-led engagement, older digital trends have re-emerged organically. Users have referenced the popularity of Boomerang videos, Snapchat’s augmented reality filters and third-party photography apps such as Retrica, which were widely used during that period. Dubsmash, the lip-syncing app that became a household phenomenon in India, has also been repeatedly mentioned, with users recalling its cross-generational appeal.
Here. Realistic dubsmash 3 Take. pic.twitter.com/UYJAyWHmWI — Vir Das (@thevirdas) May 20, 2015
Retrica https://t.co/QHcvRN919s
When you find out snap filters work on your dog pic.twitter.com/u0buhKyO4u — PuppyBF (@puppyboyfriend) April 8, 2016
In India, 2016 is also remembered for a number of widely discussed pop culture moments. That year, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attracted international attention at the Cannes Film Festival for her bold purple lipstick.
#AishwaryaRai#aishwaryaatcannespic.twitter.com/GDBL9NtZRe— Mishkat Mahir (@MahirMishkat) June 14, 2025
Internationally, 2016 produced several viral moments that continue to be referenced online. Japanese comedian Pikotaro’s song “PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)” achieved global popularity, while the Mannequin Challenge saw individuals and groups freezing in place to music, including celebrities and sports teams.
The year was also significant for film and entertainment. In India, Netflix officially launched its services in 2016, marking a shift in how audiences accessed international and domestic content.
Despite the nostalgic tone of many posts, users have also acknowledged that 2016 was not without its difficulties. During the year itself, the phrase “F— 2016” circulated widely online, reflecting public reactions to political developments and a series of high-profile deaths.
Globally, 2016 included events such as the United Kingdom’s referendum on leaving the European Union and the United States presidential election. The year also saw the deaths of several well-known figures, including Alan Rickman, Prince, George Michael and Muhammad Ali.
Other moments that defined the period included the killing of Harambe, a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo that became the subject of extensive online discourse, and the rapid rise of Pokemon Go, which encouraged millions of users worldwide to explore public spaces together in search of virtual characters.
The renewed focus on 2016 gained momentum on TikTok towards the end of 2025. One widely circulated video, posted by user @taybrafang on December 31, featured a montage of visual references from the year, including screenshots of Musical.ly, images of flower crowns, and music charts from that period. Text overlaid on the video read, “A decade ago TONIGHT.”
In response, one viewer commented, “Commenting to stay on 2016tok,” a sentiment echoed repeatedly across similar posts. Other users shared clips recreating bottle flip challenges, wearing chokers and skinny jeans, and using Snapchat’s dog-ear filter, all of which were emblematic of the time.
According to People, on TikTok alone, the hashtag #2016 has accumulated more than 1.7 million posts, reflecting the scale of engagement.
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