At least, that’s how Maren Nævdal, 27, remembers it – and saw it on her social feeds in recent days.

For Njeri Allen, also 27, the year was defined by the artists who topped the charts that year, from Beyonce of Drake to Rihanna’s last music release. He also remembers the Snapchat stories and an unforgettable summer with his loved ones. “Everything feels new, different, interesting and fun,” Allen said.

Many people, especially those in their 20s and 30s, are thinking about 2016 these days. Over the past few weeks, millions have shared throwback photos of that time social mediawhich started one of the first viral trends of the year — the year 2026, that is.

With it the memes of how different reasons – the sepia colors ended Instagram photos, the dog filters Snapchat and the music — made even the worst day of 2016 seem like the best of times.

Part of the popularity of the retro look comes from the realization that 2016 was a decade ago — a time Nævdal said he felt people were doing “fun, non-serious things” before they had to grow up.

But experts point to 2016 as a year where the world is on the brink of social, political and technological developments that make up our lives today. Those same improvements – like the improvements below US President Donald Trump and the increase in AI — increased the desire even in the recent past, and made it easier to get there.

2016 marked a year of transition

Nostalgia is often driven by a generation coming of age – and its members realize they miss what childhood and youth felt like. That’s true here. But some of those who indulge in online time travel say there’s more at play as well.

It has to do with the state of the world — then and now.

At the end of 2016, people will be looking ahead to moments like the first term of the presidency of Trump and the effects of the United Kingdom leaving the EU after Brexit referendum. A few years after that, the Covid-19 pandemic send most of the world into lockdown and raise life for almost two years.

Janelle Wilson, a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, says the world is “on the edge of things, but not completely thrown into the dark days ahead.”

“The nostalgia expressed today, for 2016, is due in large part to what has happened since then,” he said, also referring to the rise of populism and the rise polarization. “To have nostalgia for 2016 right now,” he added, “I still think those kinds of changes are important.”

For Nævdal, 2016 was “ahead of a lot of things we’re dealing with now.” She likes to see “how embarrassing everyone else is, not just me,” in the photos people share.

“It feels more real in some ways,” he said. Now, Nævdal says, “the world is down.”

Nina van Volkinburg, a professor of strategic fashion marketing at the University of the Arts, London, said that 2016 marked the beginning of “a new world order” and the “broken trust in institutions and the establishment.” He says it also represents an era of possibility — and, in social media, “the highest of all.”

It is represented by the bohemian fashion made famous by Coachella that year, the “cut crease” makeup that Nævdal loved and the dance music Allen remembers.

“People are new to platforms and online trends, so enjoy their identity,” says van Volkinburg. “There is authenticity around that.”

And 2016 was also the year of the “boss babe” and the popularity of millennial pinksays van Volkinburg, signs of youth who have matured in a year feel optimistic.

Allen remembers the summer he and his friends reached the age of high school graduates. He said they all knew then that they would remember 2016 forever.

Ten years later, which moved again to Taiwanhe said “never before” in the world. “My two homes are not safe,” he said of the US and Taiwan, “it’s easier to go back to a time when you were more comfortable and you felt safe.”

The feelings of nostalgia are getting stronger

For the past few days, Nævdal has decided to keep the social media apps on his phone. AI is a big part of that decision. “I’m afraid you can’t tell the truth anymore,” he said.

“When I’m off social media, I feel like at least now I know the things I’m seeing are real,” he added, “which is really scary.”

The revival of vinyl record collections, letter writing and a new focus on the aesthetics of yesterday point to the nostalgia that continues to dominate trends and culture. Wilson says the feeling has evolved as technology has made nostalgia more accessible.

“We have easy access to the past or, at least, versions of it,” he said. “We’ll get to the point where we can say, ‘Remember last week when we did XYZ? That was a good time!'”

Nævdal and Allen describe themselves as nostalgic people. Nævdal said he enjoys looking back at old photos – especially when they show up as “On This Day” updates on his phone. He sends them to friends and family when their photos arrive.

Allen wishes he’d documented more of his 2016 and younger years in general, to reflect on what he’s changed and experienced since.

“I don’t know what life is,” he said at the time. “I want to capture my thought process and my feelings, to find out how big I am.”