Why the 2016 Trend Is Hitting Millennials So Hard
Alexa, play the Chainsmokers.
BY MEG WALTERS
January 14, 2026
Well, it’s the start of a brand-new year. But instead of planning for the future and looking ahead, all anyone seems to want to do is to go back.
The 2016 trend on social media has everyone nostalgic for what now seems like a happier, simpler time. A time when social media was a pleasant sea of cool-toned purple filters and grainy iPhone pics; when “Closer” by the Chainsmokers and Beyoncé’s Lemonade blared from our (stringed) Apple headphones; the year we returned to Stars Hollow and collectively whined about Rory’s fate and first met the gang in Hawkins, Indiana; when getting ready for the day meant a swipe of cat eyeliner, a skater skirt, and cute little choker.