Why Millennials Are Nostalgic for 2016 on Instagram

Open Instagram this week, and you might feel a sudden shift in time. The feed is no longer dominated by hyper-curated, aesthetic-first grids. Instead, a wave of nostalgia has taken over, transporting users back to 2016 in all its fishnet-stocking glory.

Millennials are sharing images from a decade ago, celebrating the era's distinct visual language. Think Lo-Fi selfies, thick winged eyeliner, and the infamous dog-ear Snapchat filter. It is a collective trip down memory lane, driven by a desire to reconnect with a time that felt simpler and more genuine.

From influencers to everyday users, the platform has become a digital time capsule. The trend highlights a specific cultural moment defined by pop music hits and a less polished approach to social media.

The visual markers of the 2016 revival are unmistakable. Users are posting photos featuring skinny jeans, Converse high tops, and the specific Instagram filters that defined the decade, such as Clarendon and Gingham. It was an era before the rise of Reels and AI-generated content.

Kar Brulhart, a Mexico City-based social media strategist, notes that the trend reflects a broader shift toward analogue culture. This includes a renewed interest in paperback books, flip phones, and digital cameras.

The movement is not limited to personal accounts. Major celebrities have joined the trend, sharing awkward, unglamorous selfies that contrast with today's polished influencer standards. This includes:

• Charlie Puth and Eva Longoria
• Lucy Hale and Karlie Kloss
• Kylie Jenner and James Charles

Music from the era is also resurfacing. 2016 was a landmark year for pop, yielding defining hits like The Chainsmokers' "Closer," Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself," and Alan Walker's "Faded."

High-profile figures have been instrumental in amplifying the trend. Kylie Jenner posted a photo from the era captioned "You just had to be there," which garnered over 2.4 million likes. The image featured her wearing skinny jeans and her iconic Kylie Lip Kit.

Beauty influencer James Charles revived the full 2016 cut-crease eyeshadow routine in a TikTok video, which amassed approximately 5.6 million views. Others used the trend to memorialize personal milestones, such as John Legend sharing a photo of himself and Chrissy Teigen kissing after the birth of their first child.

Brands have wasted no time capitalizing on the throwback movement. Los Angeles-based fashion brand Reformation posted images of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Emily Ratajkowski wearing their 2016 range.

We miss 2016 too.

The brand's caption echoed the sentiment driving the entire trend: a longing for the specific cultural moment of a decade ago.

Social media experts suggest the trend is driven by a desire for authenticity and relief from modern pressures. Hailey Bailey, founder of Los Angeles-based PR firm Image PR, explains that millennials are craving the innocence and promise of their summer 2016 selves.

Many look at their current lives and feel they haven't met the expectations they held a decade ago. Bailey notes that financial realities—such as the inability to afford a house or delays in starting a family—make the past seem more optimistic.

Especially in the US, where the political and cultural climate feels increasingly charged, people genuinely don't know what — or how — to post anymore. Revisiting that era gives people a socially acceptable break from having to respond, react, or perform relevance.

Kar Brulhart adds that in 2016, Instagram was chronological. There was less curation, and users documented life as it happened rather than branding themselves with every post.

Ultimately, the 2016 trend is less about wanting to return to the past and more about remembering a specific version of oneself. Brulhart describes the movement as a gentle moment of reflection.

It represents a time before the heavy weight of algorithmic feeds and the pressure to perform relevance. Users are finding solace in the simplicity of the past, a time when social media felt like a personal diary rather than a public stage.

The trend serves as a cultural pressure valve. By revisiting the aesthetics of 2016, millennials are able to access a feeling of lightness that often feels missing in the current digital landscape.

The resurgence of 2016 aesthetics on Instagram highlights a complex relationship with technology and memory. While the platform continues to evolve with features like Reels and AI, users are actively choosing to look backward.

This movement suggests a growing fatigue with the hyper-curated nature of modern social media. As the trend continues, it may influence how brands and influencers approach content creation, prioritizing authenticity over perfection.

For now, the digital world remains a nostalgic playground, allowing users to momentarily step back into a time that felt undeniably simpler.