If your social media feed suddenly feels familiar, you’re not imagining it. Filters, bold makeup, glittery edits and Swedish singer and songwriter Zara Larsson’s popular hit Lush Life are back. Online, many young users are saying “2026 is the new 2016”. And the internet seems happy to play along.
Where it began
The phrase took off in December 2025 courtesy Great Meme Reset, a social media movement, when online searches for it peaked worldwide. A TikTok creator @joebro909 suggested January 1, 2026, as a “reset day”, a chance to return to the playful internet culture of 2016. Soon, users began reposting old-school memes and revisiting the light-hearted humour of that time.
Why 2016 matters
For many Gen-Z and younger millennials, 2016 felt like peak internet joy. Tumblr, Vine and Musical.ly were huge. Everyone seemed to share the same jokes, songs and trends. The look was unapologetically bold… pastel hair, chokers, lip kits and Adidas Superstars. Beauty creator Shubhangi says the appeal was simple: “Back then, you could be colourful and silly without being judged.”
The nostalgia loop
Pop-culture trends often return every 10 years. So, in 2026, the 2016 look is back, but upgraded. The minimalist “clean-girl” era is giving way to brighter, more expressive makeup and fashion. The now-viral “Rio de Janeiro” filter has returned too. Creator Soumili’s reel using it crossed 1.1 million views, which she says reflects a longing for internet humour that feels “unserious and social”.
Pop culture is looping
Nostalgia is also being fuelled by familiar franchises returning. Stranger Things, which premiered in 2016, ends in 2026. The Hunger Games series returns with Sunrise on the Reaping. Although the final original film released in late 2015, its real cultural peak was 2016, thanks to Tumblr edits, streaming and fandom discourse, cementing it as a defining internet memory. Even style icons like beauty mogul Kylie Jenner and singer-actor Ariana Grande are revisiting looks from the era many fans grew up with.
Why Gen-Z wants this
After years of pandemic anxiety and pressure to appear “perfect” online, many young users are choosing joy over polish. Digital creator Harman Kaur explains: “People are tired of chasing the algorithm. They want the internet to feel fun again.” And yes — Lush Life is playing in the background once more.
