The Economic Times

Why the internet is looking back at 2016? How this Instagram throwback trend has become a cultural time capsule

Social media is flooded with throwback posts from 2016, as users revisit a time that feels simpler and more optimistic online. The trend reflects not just nostalgia for fashion and pop culture, but a longing for an earlier internet before algorithms, pressure to perform, and constant visibility reshaped how people share and connect.