Public Embraces 2016 Nostalgia in 2026

Writer Emi Magaña reports that social-media users and cultural commentators are dubbing 2026 the 'new 2016,' citing revived fashion, music, and platform aesthetics. Psychologist Clay Routledge links the nostalgia to anxiety about rapid technological change, including AI, and the article lists four reasons—aesthetic, social-media simplicity, music, and perceived unity—suggesting brands could leverage 2016 motifs to engage millennials and older Gen Z.