When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2025, online influencers leaped to a new trend– resetting time. Many longed for a meme reset, getting rid of new age brainrot in lieu of unicycle riding frogs and evil Kermit, while others just wanted to return to fun Instagram filters and puppy-faced selfies. The reset hit full blast by mid-January with influencers and irregular posters alike copying trends from 10 years ago, when current high school students were as young as 5. This all raises the question– what attachment do current teens have to a decade ago when they weren’t even on social media?
A possible theory stems from the fact that many popular influencers are hopping on the trend, inspiring their viewers to post similarly. This effect follows suit of how ideas normally consume feeds and influence the millions of scrollers viewing them daily.
“Kylie Jenner literally reposted the whole King Kylie thing,” junior Nathaniel Jacob said. “Now she’s reposting stuff and going back to that era and honestly I would want that.”
Many people also lament the carefree vibes 2016 seemed to have. With funny filters and pastel hair, it contrasts heavily with the heavily edited beauty filters and mathematical feeds consuming our scrolls today.
“I feel like the one thing that really embodied 2016 was snapchat and being goofy,” Jacob said. “Putting yourself behind a dog filter and not caring what people think. You just did what you did to have fun.”
Teens seem to also love the 2016 beauty trends. Peekaboo hair– a style consisting of a brightly colored, yet hidden, section of hair– has taken over with girls sporting hot pink, teal, and purple layers.
“I did my peekaboo for a fun change,” junior Ryleigh Abrams, who has a red colored style, said. “It’s always temporary so I can wash it out if I don’t like it.”
All in all, these trends culminate in a carefree, fun vibe bringing back upbeat music and rose colored filters. If 2026 is anything like 2016, we have a great year ahead.
