It’s 2026, and TikTok is calling us to look at the world through Rio de Janeiro-tinted glasses. Or, at least, that’s what people have been saying for the past six to seven weeks. With the revival of the King Kylie era, the hashtag #2016 skyrocketing to 1.7 million posts on TikTok, and the throwback celebrity posts flooding feeds, teenagers on social media seem to be reviving the casual yet expressive online habits of a decade ago. But is the internet really rewinding to 2016, or is it simply a reaction to today’s highly curated, attention-driven content? 

Back in 2016, social media was a place for everyday life updates and a digital diary rather than perfectly curated carousels on Instagram used for product promotions. To better understand how social media has changed, I interviewed Ms. Ing, an upper school dance teacher, and Mr. Cooper, a middle school history teacher, about their experiences online during that era. As young adults in 2016, they were, and still are, well-versed in social media and can share insights on how the platforms differ from one decade to the next.

When asked what social media felt like in her teenage years, Ms. Ing explained that posting felt far less serious than it does now. “Back then, we would post almost every day, just moments like hanging out with friends.” With millennials on TikTok posting their past Snapchat stories, it seems as if no one had a care for their digital footprint back then.

Tumblr, in particular, allowed for teenagers to release angst and fueled artistic exploration, especially vital today in a world lacking substance. “Tumblr helped me figure out what I was visually and emotionally drawn to—what colors I liked, what kind of poetry I loved, and what kind of people I wanted to follow,” Ms. Ing shared. In contrast to today’s algorithm-heavy platforms, Tumblr offered users a sense of freedom that many platforms lack nowadays.

Jumping back to 2026, the free nature of social media appears to be returning. Messy photo dumps of friends having fun, the rise of iPhone 6s aesthetic, and past Musically trends such as lip-syncing to Omi’s “Cheerleader” are gaining popularity, signaling a shift from today’s overly polished content—yay us! The appeal for this revival is in the way these platforms allow for authentic expression without the pressure to push a persona or chase likes. However, the online space has changed dramatically since 2016, and platforms are far more commercialized, with user attention becoming the product itself. As Mr. Cooper noted, “Your attention has become the currency. Everything now is designed to grab and sell your attention.”

Today, many viral trends, which once spread organically, are now carefully engineered for the sole purpose of marketing specific music, products, or creators. As a result, teenagers are yearning for authenticity and are, in turn, chasing the carefree energy from older trends. 

Still, nostalgia can be misleading. While many people romanticise the simplicity of the 2016 era, it was not without its problems. “It’s dangerous to look at the past with rose-colored glasses,” Mr. Cooper said. “ In 2016, people were already talking about polarization and internet burnout—it just wasn’t as commercialized as it is now.” Rather than attempting to return to the past, the resurgence of 2016-style social media reflects users’ desires for creativity, authenticity, and personal expression in an increasingly curated digital world. So, 2016 isn’t coming back, but its authenticity might.