PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Nostalgia, memes, resurfaced posts, and the algorithm are looping us back to peak internet—whether we like it or not.
2016: The year of peak pop-culture online. That summer, Pokémon Go sent people out into the streets, while the Mannequin Challenge took over social feeds. Instagram launched its stories feature, which people filled with Starbucks frappuccinos and heavily filtered sunset pictures. TikTok also launched in September!
Music was everywhere with the release of Drake’s Views, The Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” and Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Taylor Swift won album of the year for 1989 at the 58th annual Grammy Awards in her iconic pink and orange dress. Streaming surged with the debut of Stranger Things!
That year in sports, the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series, breaking a 108-year curse. Team USA had one of its most successful Olympic Games in Rio, winning 121 medals.
The 2016 presidential election shaped global headlines and online discourse, and the UK’s Brexit vote marked a major political shift. People across the country mourned the loss of 49 lives in what is the second-deadliest mass shooting in the nation’s history at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
There was also a string of high-profile celebrity deaths, including Prince, Carrie Fisher and David Bowie. It was also the year Harambe died.
What is the 2016 trend on TikTok?
The trend is essentially a 2016 throwback wave (often called “2016core”). From photo compilations to recreating 2016-style edits and posting old memes, there’s plenty to scroll through on Instagram and TikTok.
As more people join in recreations and reactions, 2016 becomes a shared online “time capsule” that keeps reopening. The #2016 hashtag has already been used in over 2.1 million posts on TikTok and over 38 million posts on Instagram, as of Wednesday.
Zillennial celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Charlie Puth are among the many who shared photos from 10 years ago on Instagram and TikTok.
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