Is 2026 the new 2016? Let’s turn the clock back a decade

People are trying to bring back fidget spinners, Pokémon GO, and binge-watching YouTube videos.

2016, is that you?

We’re in 2026 — for better or worse. However, that’s not stopping people from trying to rewind the clock a decade, one way or another.

I graduated high school and started university in 2016, so there’s definitely some special connection I have to that year.

Personally, I found 2016 an awkward year to get nostalgic over. It’s not because I was a quirky person figuring out as much as I could while starting my studies in university. I’m still a quirky person figuring out life as I go, while wrapping up my studies in university — assuming nothing goes wrong.

But there’s some memorable events that came out of 2016.

The first Deadpool movie was released in 2016, which ended up becoming, and still is, one of my favourite films of all time. 

Something I also liked about Deadpool is that it was released during Valentine’s Day weekend. This led a lot of people online — and even some involved in making the movie — campaigning to pass it off as a Valentine’s Day movie. Ah, what a time to look back on fondly. 

Ten years ago, the Mannequin Challenge was also popular. The challenge had people stand frozen like a mannequin, while a moving camera took a video. It was a fun and harmless trend — and one I’d like to see make a return in the future. 

Another 2016 trend was Pokémon GO, which is up there with PSY’s “Gangnam Style” as the closest attempt at world peace.

Despite all of these great memories from 2016, there were plenty of events I wouldn’t put in the same category. 

While there were fun trends like the Mannequin Challenge, there was also the weird “Killer Clown” craze. People dressed up as killer clowns on Halloween — for questionable reasons at best.

2016 also felt like the year where social media became less of a place to socialize and connect and started becoming more corporate, with users chasing algorithms for attention.

I remember looking into content creation for a brief period and being overwhelmed by how much more complicated it became at the time. Looking back, that’s funny considering what I’m trying to do for a career now, be it in journalism or elsewhere. 

Another reason not to celebrate 2016 is because it was the year Spray Tan Don became President Spray Tan Don. We all remember what happened in November 2015.

If anything, 2010-15 is what I consider more nostalgic. There’s more positives than negatives for me when looking back on those years. By comparison, I look back on 2016-19 with more dread than I’d like to publicly admit.