As soon as the clock struck 12 a.m. on New Years Day, the internet collectively decided that it was not 2026. 2025 had passed, and replacing it was 2016: an era from exactly a decade ago.
Lately, the internet has been treating the year 2016 like a lost golden age. As if that was when all culture, and life in general, peaked. From fashion, to music, to Musically trends, users online are attempting to revive all aspects from 2016 . For many, this year has come to represent a time when the sky was bluer, and things felt simpler. But the trend of 2016 nostalgia and trying to bring the year back as a whole is beginning to do more harm than good.
Nostalgia itself is not an awful thing. In fact, I believe that nostalgia can be beautiful. Looking back on past memories, trends, and moments overall can be comforting, especially during times of uncertainty. Ultimately, wanting to reconnect with a time that once felt free and brought joy, is understandable. However, when simple nostalgia stops being appreciation and turns into imitation, I think a line should be drawn. We should be allowed to enjoy the past without trying to recreate it exactly.
Personally, I think it’s a little too soon to be bringing back 2016. For example, fashion is something that is quite cyclical, and trends are always recycled and modernized. It’s quite obvious that 2000s style clothing has quickly made its way back into style. Fashion from 2016, on the other hand, is something that I don’t think we should bring back.
LSE history teacher Sasha Hoxie happened to be a teenager in 2016, and she took part in a number of fashion trends during the era.
“Shoe wise, [I had] combat boots. [I] loved my skinny jeans, [I also] had a very deep side part,” Hoxie said.
Chokers, leather pants, bold makeup and blocky brows were also in style at the time. However, while I’m all for recycling fashion trends, I think it’s best to leave these ones in the past.
Despite being against the abundance of 2016 nostalgia, the one thing I would agree with reviving is the music. 2016 was a huge year for music, and I definitely enjoy all the throwback playlists on Spotify. For instance, in 2016 there were major releases by prominent artists like Drake, Kanye West, Rihanna and Beyonce.
“I feel like there was just very good energy around the 2016 music,” Hoxie said. “Chance the Rapper hit his prime and people loved listening to him.”
Setting aside fun trends and pop culture, 2016 was a heavier year than people may admit, and therefore many see 2016 through a rose-tinted filter– literally.
“I think if people [aren’t] happy with how the world is in the present, people are always going to look back on the past as ‘well, this was so nice back then,’” Hoxie said. “But sometimes that glosses over some of the problems that were actually happening during that time.”
While 2016 was a good year for music, fashion (debatably), and online trends, it was filled with much political turmoil and overall a lot of divide, especially since it was an election year. This is what people tend to look past when advocating to bring the year back. Not only that, but people online are often mixing up 2016 with 2012 trends, music, and fashion.
It’s understandable why the issues of 2016 go unnoticed, and why the year is getting confused with another. In 2016, I was only six years old; which is the case for many current high school students. Many of the users online who are pushing its revival are younger teens who weren’t old enough to be online or participate in trends at the time. Therefore, participation on behalf of a younger audience is likely due to online pressure.
With that being said, I don’t think that older trends should disappear. Music, fashion, and media from 2016 can still hold meaning and inspire current styles and culture. But I do believe that we should be more intentional; appreciate older trends and continue to build on them instead of trying to relive them.
As we move forward, we don’t need to abandon the past. Rather, we need to recognize that we cannot constantly look backwards and reminisce on past eras, when there is so much ahead of us. There are so many things happening at this moment, and 2016 should remain as a memory. We shouldn’t have to bring back an entire era in order to enjoy what made it special. If a specific trend brings joy, you should remember it fondly without needing to bring it back for everyone. Nostalgia is blinding, and can cloud our vision. We need to let it coexist with progress.
With that said, goodbye 2016. Hello, 2026.
