Why Are We All Suddenly Romanticizing 2016?

Somewhere along the way, 2016 became the internet’s favorite year.

If you’re in your 30s or 40s, the 2016 nostalgia trend probably feels very specific. This was the era of Instagram filters that made everything look sun-washed and optimistic. We were posting photos with Valencia like it was a personality trait. Our feeds were carefully curated, but in a casual way—very “I just threw this on,” even though we did not.

Pop culture was thriving. Beyoncé dropped Lemonade. Taylor Swift had bangs and drama. We were all watching Stranger Things for the first time and collectively deciding that yes, Eggos were back. Podcasts were just becoming a thing, but not yet homework. We listened because we wanted to, not because someone recommended a 12-part series about productivity.

Fashion? Questionable, but confident. Wide-brim hats. Ripped jeans. Chokers. That one blanket scarf we all owned and wore aggressively. We believed in athleisure before it became our full-time uniform.

And let’s talk about life pace. In 2016, plans were still allowed to be vague. You could say, “Let’s grab a drink this week,” and that was enough information. No calendar invite. No follow-up email. No shared Google Doc.

Now, everything is optimized. Our steps are counted. Our sleep is scored. Our schedules are color-coded. We don’t just make plans—we manage them.

That might be part of why 2016 is trending again. Not because we want to relive the chokers or the contouring, but because that year represents a time when life felt less managed and more lived.

The millennial nostalgia around 2016 isn’t about thinking it was perfect. It’s about remembering when moments felt lighter and less curated. When memories happened naturally. When we weren’t trying so hard to capture, improve, or optimize every part of our lives.

Of course, we know better now. Life grows. Responsibilities stack. Things change.

But maybe that’s why this 2016 resurgence keeps popping up. It reminds us that not everything has to be so serious. That it’s okay to laugh at the trends we loved. To miss a time when things felt simpler (even if they weren’t).