As the clock struck midnight and the new year began, nostalgic teens and young adults are taking social media by storm and claiming that 2026 is going to be the new 2016. People are trying to turn back time by adding warm-tinted filters to their videos and attempting to bring back popular fashion trends such as chokers, knee high boots and statement earrings.

Before TikTok was the predominant social media platform, Vine was a high-demand app where short videos could be uploaded and viewed. However, the app was shut down in 2017 due to financial losses and fierce competition with other platforms. 

TikTok users are creating posts that are reminiscent of Vine trends and are supporting the 2016 rewind. Many of these TikTok posts have tunes from 2016 that can be heard in the background to support the movement. Some commonly used songs are “Lush Life” by Zara Larson and “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber. These catchy lyrics are commonly used to promote feelings of nostalgia in viewers, and persuade them to partake in the uprising social media trend. 

However, not everyone is so enthusiastic about the newest fad taking their “For You” page by storm. Some think the trend is so unlikely to happen that supporters are setting themselves up for disappointment. Others believe that enthusiasts are naive and are ignoring current political and global issues taking place. 

As trends on social media tend to come and go, social media users will soon see if 2016 will fade away, or if it is here to stay.