All articles tagged with #2016
Gen Z looks back on 2016, recalling a mix of tech, fashion, and beauty trends—from wired headphones and Polaroid cameras to fidget spinners, Rainbow Loom, S’well bottles, Adidas sneakers, chokers, and iconic makeup staples like Tarte Shape Tape and Naked palettes—celebrating a shared nostalgia for the year’s defining goods.
In 2026, a wave of nostalgia rekindles memories of 2016 online, with throwback posts featuring VSCO filters, bold fashion, and cultural moments like Pokémon Go as people reminisce about a brighter, more personal era of social media. The trend—spurred by memes like '2026 is the new 2016'—highlights nostalgia as escapism while contrasting today’s more parasocial, algorithm-driven online environment and acknowledging 2016’s political and social lows.
A decade after 2016, celebrities and everyday fans reminisce about that year’s big moments in pop culture—Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Pokémon Go—while analysts argue nostalgia glosses over deep political divides (Brexit, Trump) and online hostility, suggesting the 2026 internet and political climate feel far more fractured than the monocultural vibe many miss.
The article argues that 2016 fashion cues—skinny jeans, ankle boots, ballet flats, backless loafers, milliennial pink, satin bomber jackets and slip dresses—are resurfacing in 2026, but as a reinterpreted remix rather than a pasteurized revival. Editors spotlight curated ‘It’ bags and footwear while emphasizing modern practicality and restrained nostalgia, signaling that the revival is about adaptation for today’s needs rather than exact replication.
Two weeks into 2026, many on Instagram are posting throwbacks to 2016, chasing the era’s uncurated, playful vibe from pre-curated feeds and memes like the Mannequin Challenge and early VSCO edits. The piece argues the appeal partly reflects a craving for carefree online life and a sense of cultural memory from that year (Obama in office, Lemonade era, memes), but it also recalls that 2016 was filled with real horrors—Trump’s election, the Zika outbreak, terrorist attacks, Brexit, and domestic injustices—so the nostalgia trend mixes comfort with painful memories. The author concedes nostalgia can feel uplifting but warns against portraying 2016 as “the best year ever.”
A BBC Newsbeat piece explains that 2026 is seeing a spike in 2016 nostalgia on social media: TikTok searches for '2016' surged 452% and over 55 million videos use a '2016' filter, while Spotify shows a 71% rise in 2016-themed playlists. The revival includes Zara Larsson’s Lush Life returning to the charts and retro makeup looks, and is described by experts as a comforting, simpler era being recalled amid worries about AI and political divisions. Nostalgia is fueling the trend as Millennials and late Gen Z look back to a time before algorithms and reels reshaped social media.
Ernie Hudson, who reprised his role as Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, expresses no negativity towards the 2016 Ghostbusters film, but questions why it was made instead of another with the original cast. He acknowledges the new cast's talent but suggests that fans were disappointed due to their investment in the original characters and story. The article reflects on society's rejection of the 2016 film and the ongoing nostalgia for the original Ghostbusters.