Overview
- TikTok reports searches for “2016” jumped 452% in early January, with outlets citing tens of millions of uses of a 2016-style filter and well over a million themed posts.
- Users are reviving mid-2010s markers such as Snapchat’s dog filter, Instagram’s Rio look, chokers, skater skirts, and soundtrack choices from 2016 hits and memes.
- Influencers and stars including Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Charlie Puth reshared or recreated 2016-era content, boosting visibility across platforms.
- Coverage traces one early spark to a Dec. 31 TikTok montage by @taybrafang that stitched together viral moments and aesthetics from the year.
- Commentators warn the rosy view overlooks 2016’s upheavals, pointing to Brexit, Trump’s election, and numerous high-profile celebrity deaths.