New Delhi, Jan. 16 -- If your social media feed suddenly looks like it has slipped back a decade, you are not alone. In the first weeks of 2026, a wave of throwback posts from 2016 has taken over Instagram and TikTok, with users sharing old photos and videos under a now-familiar caption: "2026 is the new 2016."

Over the past few weeks, users scrolling through their feeds have been met with low-resolution selfies, puppy-dog Snapchat filters and clips that instantly signal a different era of social media. Many creators are digging into their archives to resurface content from a decade ago, often presenting it as carousel posts or short videos paired with music that once dominated charts.

For many, 2016 represents a lighter, less complicat...