By Alexis Jen M. Narandan

Open a playlist, and suddenly “Closer” by The Chainsmokers starts playing. Instantly, Snapchat filters flash in memory, flower crowns appear, and old dance challenges replay in your head. Scroll a feed, and tattered jeans and chokers resurface, making the world feel a little lighter—even if only for a moment. 2016 appears without much explanation, almost like an inside joke everyone somehow understands–and maybe misses a little. 

For many young people, the comparison doesn’t arrive through grand statements or viral think pieces. It shows up quietly, in moments when something familiar resurfaces and suddenly feels comforting again. 

“There’s something poetic about people calling 2026 the new 2016,” said Ser Ryna G. Arojo, 21, a BS Psychology student from San Pedro College in Davao City. “It’s not really about the clothes or the throwbacks—it’s about longing.” 

For Arojo, 2016 stands out as a time when life did not feel like it was constantly performing. Social media existed, but it did not demand a brand. Posting did not come with pressure to stay relevant, careful, or curated. 

“We posted without overthinking engagement, relevance, or permanence,” she said. That difference, she noted, is hard to ignore now. Today, everything feels filtered through politics, awareness, and expectations. “We didn’t lose depth, but we lost ease.” 

“2016 era was simpler—less stress, less perfection,” said Nicole Ipanag, 22, a BS Nursing student from Capitol University in Cagayan De Oro. “Sa tinuod, 2016 wala pa kaayo expectations sa life. Di pa kaayo ‘adulting.” (Honestly, in 2016 there weren’t many expectations in life yet. Adulting wasn’t heavy)

Social media, she recalled, felt lighter. “No pressure to be perfect—just post and laugh.” Dreams felt exciting instead of intimidating. Now, she said, life carries a different weight. “Karon, bills, future, and survival na jud,” (Now it’s bills, the future, and survival.) The pressure comes not only from people around you, but from yourself. “Murag ni grabi ang perfection mindset.” (The perfection mindset feels heavier now.)

For Athea S. Chavez, 20, from Davao Medical School Foundation, the trend feels less like a factual comparison and more like a reflection of how people remember the past. Looking back, Chavez agrees that 2016 felt simpler. Life wasn’t overwhelming, and trends didn’t come with pressure. 

“We didn’t overthink everything,” she said. Whether it was because people were younger or because the world moved slower, that light feeling is what many seem to miss.

A forensic student from Lyceum of the Philippines-Davao, Zeizeca Claire P. Sia, 22, described 2016 as a time when people collectively rode trends without questioning them. 

“It was a carefree moment wherein people would collectively ride on the trend with no further questions and just be them having fun,” she said. What might now be labeled as “cringe” did not feel that way then. “Lingaw jud ang 2016,” (2016 was really fun)

“Before, I felt I was pretty whenever I used the flower crown filter in Snapchat,” she shared. For Zeizeca, what made 2016 memorable was how new everything felt at the time. People enjoyed it not because it was polished, but because it was unfamiliar. 

Others connect the comparison to personal growth. 

When Karelle Arcaina, 21, a nursing student from Capitol University in Cagayan De Oro, looks back at 2016, she remembers a version of herself without clear ambitions or heavy responsibilities. Life felt lighter because she wasn’t overthinking what came next. Now, pressure comes with maturity—making good decisions and building a future. Still, she wouldn’t trade who she is now for who she was then. Growth, for her, is stressful but meaningful. 

That awareness is something Isabella Tinoy, 24, a BS Psychology graduate from Xavier University, also reflected on. She sees the trend as a response to an overwhelming present shaped by rapid technological changes, global conflicts, and growing responsibilities. Yet, she remains cautious about nostalgia. 

“The past often appears better than it actually was,” she said. What feels different now, she explained, is not necessarily the world itself but the emotional weight that comes with growing older and becoming more aware. 

For Irish Marie Martinez, 22, a BS Financial Management student from Xavier University in Cagayan De Oro, the shift is especially noticeable online. In 2016, technology felt exciting but harmless. Today, digital spaces feel more polished and more intimidating. 

Together, these reflections suggest that when people say 2026 feels like 2016, they are not asking to go backward. They are noticing what has changed, and how things once felt easier to enjoy, join, and live through without overthinking. 

In the middle of everything that feels fast and full, the memory of 2016 offers a pause—and a reminder of how it once felt to enjoy things simply.