In case you were confused while scrolling through social media, it’s the year 2026. But people can’t stop reminiscing about the year 2016, posting various throwback pictures of the lifestyle, aesthetics, and trends of that time.

TikTok reported that in the first week of the new year, searches for “2016” surged by 452% on the platform. With viral pop culture moments, music, and trends like the Mannequin Challenge and the infamous dog Snapchat filter, it’s no surprise why.

For some, the year 2016 was a challenging year, with events like the political divide from the 2016 Presidential Election, the Great Flood of 2016 in Louisiana, the shooting of Alton Sterling, the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, and various celebrity deaths. With all of these events, people are wondering what is making people reminisce about 2016 in such a positive way.

Dr. Kyle Langley, a professor at LSU who teaches pop culture media and multiculturalism, provided some insight, saying the trend reflects less of a love for the year itself and more so a time when life felt like it made sense.

With leading social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, he says the social media aspect is a reason why this resurgence is happening.

“The platforms themselves were really centered around making sure we live an aesthetic lifestyle,” Langley said.

This happens a lot with certain eras people miss, and he thinks this won’t be the last time nostalgia becomes a trend.

“A couple of years ago, everyone was really obsessed with the Y2K era, the year 2000, and the late ’90s. That tells us a lot about what society sees in the current era and what it’s currently wanting to see in the future. So what is it that society is missing that we’re craving from the 2016 era?” Langley said.