<div class="ContentHeaderDek-bCXPyE fIXLxB"><span dir="auto">Were we really happier in 2016?</span></div>

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<p data-start="0" data-end="573" style="text-align: justify;">Even though the new year has only just begun, many people are not in a hurry to think ahead, but instead choose to look back at the past. They return to a period often remembered as happier, lighter and seemingly less tiring. It was a time when social media was flooded with vibrant colour filters and photos taken with the iPhone SE had almost no need for editing. It was also a time when people listened to The Chainsmokers' "Closer" through Apple's wired headphones, first encountered the group of children in Hawkins, and stepped out of the house in bright colours without worrying about how they were "building their image."</p>
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<p data-start="0" data-end="341" style="text-align: justify;">With just a TikTok filter featuring a hazy purple-blue hue, inspired by 2016, this number instantly became a shared symbol of collective nostalgia. According to TikTok data, in just one week, searches for the keyword "2016" increased by 452 per cent, and the number of videos perfectly recreating the aesthetics of that era surpassed 1.6 million.</p>
<p data-start="343" data-end="739" style="text-align: justify;">Over the past ten years, the world has experienced a global pandemic, two presidential terms of Donald Trump, Brexit and the disappearance of Twitter in favour of social media platforms flooded with AI-generated content. In this context, the crucial question is no longer whether 2016 was truly perfect, but whether each individual's situation at that time was more manageable than it is now.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The reality is that 2016 wasn't a period without social media. The difference lies in the fact that social media at that time maintained a certain level of privacy, enough to prevent users from constantly being on guard. The content appearing on news feeds largely reflected the lives of people they knew in real life, rather than being overwhelmed by hateful language or endless streams of machine-generated content. Celebrities at that time used social media as if they were chatting with close friends, freely posting silly selfies without much thought. If such images appeared today, they would likely quickly become the subject of intense scrutiny, analysis, and judgment.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This wave of nostalgia has also brought back names like Hailey Bieber, as they've started sharing photos from 2016. This is also the period remembered for Kylie Jenner's "King Kylie" image, when her social media wasn't yet dominated by carefully calculated brand collaborations, but still offered space for playfulness and creative instinct. Back then, Kylie posted pictures of colourful wigs, parties with friends and streetwear like Supreme, effortlessly racking up millions of likes on Tumblr. The recent reminiscence photos she shared almost perfectly capture the elements that created that carefree feeling of 2016, a feeling that is now rare.</p>

<p data-start="0" data-end="510" style="text-align: justify;">Around 2016, social media operated in a less stressful way than it does today. Although algorithms were present, Facebook and Instagram primarily displayed content from accounts users actively followed. The news feed focused on existing relationships, daily life updates and personal interactions, rather than prioritising emotionally charged content. Therefore, using social media didn't cause feelings of overload or drain significant mental energy.</p>
<p data-start="512" data-end="1057" style="text-align: justify;">Starting around 2017, the content distribution mechanism began to change significantly. Posts that easily evoke emotions like anger or fear were prioritised for display, as they kept users on the platform longer. This trend became even more apparent after 2019, when short-form video platforms boomed. Content became highly personalised, fast-paced, and often based on controversy or conflict to attract attention. As a result, the social media experience gradually shifted to a state of constant tension, even when users weren't actively seeking it.</p>

<div class="flex flex-col text-sm pb-25"><article class="text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:ff319a39-37ff-4f3a-acd2-7345016a51cb-3" data-testid="conversation-turn-8" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant" tabindex="-1"><div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"><div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"><div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="a6e1bdc8-f885-4696-a51c-e9c04ed6311f" dir="auto" class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1" data-message-model-slug="gpt-5-2"><div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"><div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"><p data-start="1059" data-end="1621" style="text-align: justify;"> Compared to the present, 2016 was a period when social media still had the ability to connect people with the outside world. The Pokémon Go phenomenon is a prime example, as technology encouraged users to leave their screens, move outdoors, and interact directly with each other. At that time, technology was often seen as a tool to support social connection, rather than as a time-consuming and attention-consuming tool as it is in later years. This creates a stark contrast with the pandemic period, when movement was restricted and social interactions were significantly reduced.</p><p data-start="1623" data-end="2172" style="text-align: justify;"> On a broader level, 2016 was also a time when politics was not entirely driven by individual identity and collective emotion. However, complex issues began to be reduced to opposing choices, tied to background, perspective, and sense of belonging. In the UK, Brexit transformed a multi-layered political problem into a binary choice. In the US, elections intensified confrontation between social groups. Political debate thus shifted away from policy and towards values ​​and identity, creating a more tense public atmosphere.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></article></div>

<p style="text-align: justify;">In retrospect, 2016 is often remembered as the last period in which public life still generated a certain degree of consensus, even if that feeling didn't fully reflect reality. At least, it was a time when hope wasn't yet overshadowed by overwhelming scepticism.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For many, 2016 also coincided with the transition to adulthood. This is when individuals begin to form their personal identities, expand their autonomy, and build deeper social relationships. At this time, the future is still seen as an open space, rather than a continuous series of adjustments to adapt.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Therefore, nostalgia for 2016 doesn't necessarily stem from a desire to return to the past, but rather reflects a need to rediscover a sense of meaning, continuity, and self-control in the present context. For many, the past ten years have been a period of unexpected changes in both society and personal life. A time that should have been dedicated to choice and growth has instead become a prolonged process of adaptation and endurance.</p>

<div class="relative basis-auto flex-col -mb-(--composer-overlap-px) [--composer-overlap-px:28px] grow flex"><div class="flex flex-col text-sm pb-25"><article class="text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:ff319a39-37ff-4f3a-acd2-7345016a51cb-4" data-testid="conversation-turn-10" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant" tabindex="-1"><div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"><div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"><div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="1ecf0ede-abec-4064-a8f1-255db5798254" dir="auto" class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1" data-message-model-slug="gpt-5-2"><div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"><div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"><p data-start="0" data-end="667" style="text-align: justify;"> The reality is that at the time, we had absolutely no idea what we were about to face. No one imagined that a global pandemic would emerge and deepen the already simmering ideological and economic rifts. No one predicted that fear would become the primary fuel for political life. Nor did anyone think that technology would persistently push humans closer to a semi-conscious, semi-automatic state of existence. And even less did anyone imagine that Reels or TikTok would dominate the entertainment landscape of daily life. If, over the past ten years, you haven&#39;t truly felt a sense of hope for a return, it doesn&#39;t necessarily stem from excessive pessimism.</p><p data-start="669" data-end="1206" style="text-align: justify;"> Within that wave of nostalgia, there&#39;s always a lingering sense of loss, quiet but unwilling to disappear. Few truly believe that 2016 was a perfect era. What&#39;s talked about more is the feeling that life was easier then, social connections remained intact, and daily life still felt like a life for human beings, rather than a constant series of defensive reflexes. The world then allowed people to move, connect, and exist without constantly being on high alert.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps that&#39;s why a TikTok filter tinted in a bluish-purple hue reminiscent of 2016 has been given such a significant role, as if it could mend the lost hope amidst the relentless updating of the present. Nostalgia in this case isn&#39;t simply about romanticizing the past, but rather a way for people to navigate themselves. It reminds us that there were times when meaning, connection, and hope emerged quite naturally. And even though the present is much harsher, that memory is still strong enough to hold onto a glimmer of faith for the future.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> Could 2026 become a new replica of 2016? As social media collectively turns anew, the question arises not just what could return, but what we are actually hoping will return.</p>

Why Is the Internet Collectively Reminiscing About 2016?

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