Connecting With Customers Through Nostalgia

NEW YORK — Just weeks into the new year, 2016 is trending. Across social media, people are sharing photos and videos from a decade ago, often captioned with reflections on simpler times.

The wave of nostalgia is driven by the idea that "2026 is the new 2016," with many hoping the current year might mirror what they remember as a uniquely positive era.

What is the '2026 is the new 2016' trend?

People – especially millennials and Gen Z, celebrities included – have embraced the trend, posting favorite memories. For millennials, 2016 often coincided with milestones such as graduating from college, landing a first job, or entering adulthood. For Gen Z, it recalls prom season and peak high school years.

Many point to the same reasons for the memories: The music, movies, sports, fashion, and an overall sense that culture was more fun.

Some of those moments include Super Bowl 50 halftime show, headlined by Coldplay with appearances by Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. It was also the era of celebrity power couples, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, before their split.

Sports fans often recall 2016 as unforgettable. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, delivering the city's first professional sports championship in more than 50 years. That same year, the Chicago Cubs ended a 108-year drought by winning the World Series.

Politics also shaped the cultural backdrop of 2016, with the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump dominating headlines. The election concluded in November with Trump becoming the 45th president of the United States, ending one of the most closely followed elections in recent history.

Why are people nostalgic for 2016?

So, why are people nostalgic for 2016? Clay Routledge, an existential psychologist who's a leading expert in the science of nostalgia, told NBC that enough time has passed for people to look back on 2016 with "warm feelings."

He notes that millennials and older Gen Z are particularly affected by "technological transformations," including the advances of artificial intelligence.

"People tend to be nostalgic when they're anxious about the future, or they're not sure what direction in life to take," he said. "I think this generation is dealing with those anxieties, and they're using nostalgia as a way to respond to them."

He also explained that people are often most nostalgic for periods in their youth when they felt "young and free and energized," making it unsurprising that those who were teenagers or young adults in 2016 are drawn back to that time.

What are people posting?

TikTok and Instagram feeds are filled with throwback photos and videos featuring Snapchat dog-ear and flower-crown filters, party pictures, and reflections on hair, makeup, and "going out outfits."

TikTok users were posting videos with captions like "2026 is the new 2016," "Happy 2016," and "It's officially 2016," pairing old photos with hopes that memes and culture of that era might return.

Celebrities and artists have also joined. Singer-songwriter Khalid shared a collection of photos in an Instagram post, captioned "2016," featuring his high school graduation and time with friends, set to the song "Location."

Actress Selena Gomez also posted throwback pictures of herself on tour at the time, and singer-songwriter Charlie Puth posted a video of himself lip-syncing his hit song from that year, "We Don't Talk Anymore."

Interest in the trend has surged across platforms

The BBC reported that "2016" TikTok searches surged more than 450% the first week of January. According to Snapchat data, cited by NBC, searches for the "2016" lenses are up 613% from the beginning of the year to now, compared with last year.

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