From Starbucks Pink Drinks to Zara Larson’s song “Lush Life,” people are starting to see 2026 trends become reminiscent of 2016. Celebrities like Billie Eilish and Kylie Jenner have been reposting photos on social media originally taken in 2016 and furthering this era of trends. Since 2016, platforms like Instagram have been used by celebrities and teenagers as a way to communicate and show interests.
“In 2016, Instagram was still really popular, like it is today,” WCHS science teacher Monica Tarzy said. “The only difference is that in 2016, Instagram reels did not exist and stories did not exist either. The only way to show what you were doing through the app was with a post, so now I usually see a lot more of what people are doing with their daily lives because of these new features.”
Additionally, filters have made a comeback. In 2016, the dog filter, putting brown dog ears and a dog tongue on the user’s face, was the most popular filter to use. It was seen all around Instagram, Musical.ly and Snapchat.
“Today, [filters] are more subtle and harder to point out,” WCHS world language teacher Angela Ramsden said. “It feels like many TikTokers will have the AI filters over their faces, and you will see their eyes glitch. Although oftentimes there are filters similar to those seen in 2016 seen today, the filters in 2016 were very blatant and obvious.”
In 2016, school hallways were filled with the mannequin challenge, a worldwide competition to see who could stay in one pose the longest. Students would compete against their friends and classmates during and after school. Since then, this trend has faded away, but new trends on TikTok have sparked the interest of teens.
“The only thing that compares to the mannequin challenge are the different TikTok dances that students do because those become trends that everyone participates in,” Ramsden said. “I see kids all the time watching and learning dances outside my room during lunch and before school, just like I did with the mannequin challenge with my friends.”
At the recent Grammys, artists like Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Bruno Mars all performed hit songs. This has made fans of the 2016 trends reminisce on the artists’ music and think about how it has changed or stayed the same over the past decade.
“Adele has definitely made a comeback since the beginning of this year,” Tarzy said. “I feel like I have not seen her or her music since 2016 and recently that has changed, so she is definitely coming back. The rapper TI is also having a revival. I have not seen either of their songs on the radio, but recently they have been reappearing.”
Fashion trends have also been reappearing. Baggy clothing, belts and colorful style choices are becoming a lot more popular with teenagers than they have been in the last decade. People in their 20s who were teenagers in 2016 have also been wearing loafers more often, which were seen with people who were that age in 2016.
“From what I have seen, bell-bottoms and baggy pants are really making a reappearance,” Tarzy said. “Bell bottoms especially have been recycled and come back again since the ‘70s. I have also seen lace tops with funky and bright colors coming back, especially for teens and women in their 20s. Wearing makeup on a daily basis is something that teenagers have started to do again because with COVID-19, people stopped wearing makeup daily, but since the pandemic ended, the styles have shifted again.”
Stuffed animals have always been a big part of childhood for kids in elementary school and beyond. They can be symbols of friendships and memories. In 2016, a very popular stuffed animal was the Beanie Baby. They were one of the most popular toys for kids and were given as gifts and birthday presents. Now, jellycats are taking over as the most popular stuffed animals.
“Beanie Babies were super popular when I was younger, but now I feel like the Jelly Cats are what is popular now,” Ramsden said. “I always see jelly cats being gifted in gift exchanges and other holiday activities. Although Beanie Babies are still around, they are not super common among children anymore.”
2016 may feel like 10 years ago for some, but not for all. 10 years is a long time in which people can accomplish many things in life, yet it can also feel like just yesterday. It is enough time to finish and start so many amazing things that are not recognized on a daily basis.
“2016 does not feel like 10 years ago because COVID-19 is making everything feel like the pandemic happened yesterday,” Tarzy said. “Although I definitely enjoyed being stuck in the house. I made different food everyday and it made me closer to my family.”
