2016 trend: Why are social media users sharing photos from 10 years ago?
Is 2026 the new 2016?
Last year, social media users compared 2015 to 2025 by pointing out some changes in pop culture and their personal lives in online posts. Now, the Internet has been filled with photos and clips from 10 years ago. From celebrities to our own circles, many have been reliving their favorite memories from 2016 by scrolling through their phone galleries and social media feeds, taking their followers back to a time of Snapchat filters, chokers, fidget spinners, dabbing, The Chainsmokers, iconic Kylie Lip Kits, the Bottle Flip Challenge, among many others.
On Facebook and Instagram, it's usually an entire album of photos from that year with the hashtags #nostalgia and #2016trend. On IG Story, it's a collage of photos with a prompt that says, "2016 was 10 years ago. Post you in 2016."
According to Glamour, the trend started on TikTok with its purple-blue filter inspired by the year. It has "become all the rage," with TikTok noting a 452% surge in "2016" searches along with millions of entries with the vintage filter so far, per BBC.
Why 2016?
Psychologist Jan Patrick Magpantay told PhilSTAR L!fe that 2016 sits at a sweet spot for many: “It’s far away enough to feel nostalgic, but close enough to still feel personal and vivid.” He added that while the world was advancing then, things were still a bit slower.
Digital marketing strategist Azad Calalang pointed out that it was a time “when life felt lighter and less complicated” as it was before social media became heavily templated and saturated.
“There was less pressure to jazz up our feeds—it was about enjoying the moment and sharing the fun online. I noticed it’s the same with a lot of social media users regardless of their age,” she told L!fe. “Social media in 2016 was all about freedom and good memories, less anger and clout. Things felt simpler and more hopeful then.”
Both Magpantay and Calalang said the 2016 trend has become a way for people to reconnect with a younger version of themselves—one that “felt lighter and less burdened.”
@childhoodcore8 2016 is now officially a decade ago.. 💔 #nostalgia #fyp #2016 #edit ♬ original sound - Nostalgia
Social media nostalgia
Calalang touched on the power of nostalgia on social media and how it connects people almost instantly.
“When 2016 music started resurfacing online, it triggered feelings we didn’t even realize we missed, right? Suddenly, everyone wanted to relive that era. Social media makes it easy to collectively remember the same moments at the same time. When a few people posted, others may have followed because they felt the same longing,” she said.
This is also backed by Magpantay. “When many people collectively remember a time as ‘better,’ it becomes emotionally powerful or impactful. Posting a 2016 photo is not just about personal history or a simple throwback, but about participating in a shared narrative,” he said. “Social media amplifies this effect because it rewards relatability. When others comment ‘same’ or ‘take me back,’ it reinforces the idea that the feeling is widely understood and valid. Somehow it also boosts the feeling of belongingness.”
The psychologist explained how nostalgia on social media can be good for us. “It provides emotional comfort, especially during times of uncertainty or stress. Revisiting positive memories helps regulate emotions and can counter feelings of anxiety, loneliness, or dissatisfaction in the present.”
Likewise, nostalgia strengthens one’s identity. “By sharing who they were, people remind themselves and others of their personal story, growth, and continuity over time,” he said.
The 2016 trend encourages reflection and gratitude, according to Magpantay. At its worst, it can make people “romanticize the past and gloss over real problems that existed then.” For him, it’s not a literal desire to go back in time. “It shows how people use memory not to escape reality, but to cope with it.”
Social media throwbacks serve a deep psychological purpose: grounding. "The 2016 trend reminds people that they have experienced joy, connection, and meaning before," the psych expert said, "and reassures them that they can definitely experience all of that again."