Millennials Romanticize 2016 on Instagram: A Look Back at Simpler Times

• Millennials and older Gen Z are posting throwbacks and comparisons, longing for 2016's perceived simplicity.
• The trend rejects hyper-polished social media, embracing grainy photos and mid-2010s fashion.
• Users recall 2016 as a time of less anxiety, open-ended careers, and experimental relationships.
• Pop culture felt communal with shared music events and playful internet trends like Pokémon Go.
• Nostalgia overlooks 2016's darker realities: Brexit, US election polarization, demonetization, and terror attacks like Uri, Orlando, and Nice.

Why It Matters: Millennials romanticize 2016 on Instagram, seeking simpler times despite the year's complex realities.