It’s Cool for the Summer: Why Everyone is Going Back to 2016 in 2026
As the senior class moves forward toward graduation this May, it seems fitting to take one last look back down the rabbit hole that is their childhood.
This year, everyone went back a decade to 2016 – a year that embodies nostalgia for almost every senior at Skyline. Social media platforms, such as Instagram and Tiktok, have been flooded with a wave of euphoric memories from the year 2016.
“It brings back that feeling of you wish you weren’t a teenager cause I was only eight, and everything felt better,” says Alaina Craiger (‘26).
With old trends becoming new again, it all feels almost like a quick trip back in time before stepping out into reality to face the real world.
Some prime examples of memories include hit songs that topped the charts (Summer by Calvin Harris and Hotline Bling by Drake to name a few), social media trends like the “Water Bottle Flip” and fashion that was known for its highly colorful and maximalist look (Supreme, Nike).
“It’s all about just positive energy, and it’s a great vibe,” says Lyuji Miki (26’). “You can feel it everywhere.”
Who doesn’t want to feel upbeat for a change? The positivity is absolutely contagious, and it’s all wrapped in the neon pink and purple tint – specifically from the infamous “Rio De Janeiro” filter that dominated the online scene during the 2010s.
“For many people that was one of the best years ever,” says Marco Salazar-Esquivel (‘27). “For me, I am very involved with sports, so growing up watching Lebron [James] and the Cavaliers 3-1 comeback against the Warriors is the highlight.”
Evidently, the trend is a collage of sports, movies, television shows that creates the perfect storm of nostalgia.
The positive atmosphere couldn’t come at a better point in time, where it seems like every other headline is a tragedy, or some kind of news that manages to take the brightness out of your day.
“I think especially with all the sort of negative media that we’re kind of receiving now at this time, we are all sort of looking for something to kind of smile about and feel good again,” says Dante Hunt (‘26). “I think 2016 is something that embodies that perfectly.”
