Why Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed With 2016

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User · Jan 21, 2026 · 59m

Matt Bernstein, Kat Tenbarge and I dig into what the 2016 nostalgia is really about. Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with 2016? Hyper-saturated Instagram photos are back. The Snapchat puppy filter is everywhere again. Nostalgic edits are flooding TikTok. From the "King Kylie" era to Harambe, it feels like we’re collectively regressing.Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon:⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz⁠⁠🗞️ Substack:⁠⁠ https://www.usermag.co⁠⁠But was 2016 really “the last good year”? I wanted to understand why this particular moment looms so large in our cultural memory, so…