You can’t open Instagram or TikTok right now without being bombarded by throwback photos. The #BringBack2016 trend has seen millions of people revisiting images from a decade ago and the reaction from posters and followers alike has been surprisingly emotional.
Whether scrolling through Fearne Cotton’s red-carpet reminiscing, Stacey Solomon’s loved up Joe Swash selfies, or your friend’s flower-crown heavy festival favourites there seems to be a consensus that 2016 “was a vibe”; a lighter, brighter time.
There’s humour, of course. I’m mildly mortified by my edgy under-cut and sleep deprived pallor. But it seems that beyond laughing at our dubious fashion choices sits something more profound: people are taking joy in reflecting on this previous version of themselves who existed in a very different world to that in which we find ourselves today.
Looking back isn’t just about the year - it’s about who we were within it and who we are now. As the chimes rang in for 2016, I was 3 weeks post-partum with my second daughter whilst also trying to be a very hands-on stepmum to my husband’s three rugby mad teenage sons. The photos remind me of the constant cooking and general chaos of home life but also of a new level of happiness as I watched my big, blended family shower their new baby sister with love.
© Ellie FennellI worked in fashion at the time and look with pride at the photos of me somehow running a huge photo shoot with my newborn daughter strapped tightly to my chest in a Baby Bjorn. I love reminiscing on the adventures we still managed to have despite needing to pack everything bar the kitchen sink into a very large SUV every time we left the house.
The contrast of life then and now is both shocking and wonderfully affirming. There are rose tinted specs when I look back at a simpler life in 2016 - oh to go back to a time of no school WhatsApp groups, tween angst, health scares or ailing relatives. But reflecting also makes me feel lucky to be living the life I have today and appreciative of all the unexpected experiences and life-changing friendships which have shaped my last decade.
As a midlife woman, I’m sure I’m not alone in finding 2016 a particularly resonant moment - something of a midpoint between versions of myself, a key identity-forming year. Back then I was in the fraught foothills of my sleep-deprived journey into motherhood but not yet exhausted by the cumulative pressures of work, kids’ education, ageing parents and hormonal change. I was beginning to appreciate the joys of a country walk and pub lunch, but still frequently escaping to London for naughty nights out. I was old enough to feel confident in my own skin, but young enough not to be fretting too much about its sagginess. What a difference a decade makes!
© Ellie FennellBut alongside our own journeys since 2016, the photos also remind us how much the world around us has changed. The whole look and feel is so different. iPhone photos were basic and Instagram was more playful; less curated and commercial. It was the pre-Reels era, so smiling groups happily posed in front of brightly painted walls, neon signs or angel wings, documenting holidays, brunches and nights out without worrying too much about algorithms or engagement. Instagram Stories were new, filters were fun rather than flawless, and posting wasn’t yet tangled up with personal branding.
It was the heyday of Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Rihanna. Fashion was more flamboyant - think lace up tops, Bardot necklines, slogan tees, chokers, skinny jeans and Adidas Superstars. Make-up was bold: matte lipstick, heavy contouring, sharp eyeliner. Little did we know that Brexit and President Trump were right around the corner.
Whilst revisiting photos is wonderfully nostalgic, offering a rare opportunity to pause and reflect on all that has changed for us and the world around us, psychologists suggest there are also some deeper motivations coming into play.
According to Dr Jessamy Hibberd, Clinical Psychologist and author of The Overthinking Cure, nostalgia is often less about the past itself and more about what the present feels like and it often peaks during periods of transition.
“Life at the moment is scary - wars, climate change, pandemics, political upheaval, the cost-of-living crisis and AI threats (to name a few!) and these problems are so much bigger than us. I think 2016 in many ways was a simpler time.
Looking back gives us a chance to reflect on our lives. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day that we sometimes forget to pause and look up. Seeing how things have changed over ten years brings a perspective that we don’t normally have.
Revisiting an earlier version of ourselves can also help us be more intentional about what we want from life, rather than putting life off. The key is to ensure you do so with self-compassion and remember that we’re not all on the same timeline and that’s ok.”
© Ellie FennellThere’s also something significant about the decade mark. Psychologists note that ten years offers the perfect emotional distance: far enough away to feel “finished”, but close enough that the memories still feel personal. The further we move away from a period, the safer it feels to revisit with a bit of rosy retrospection. So perhaps scrolling through old photos isn’t indulgent; just grounding.
Ultimately, the 2016 photo trend isn’t about wanting to rewind time. It’s about reflecting on how far we’ve come - and acknowledging both what’s been lost and gained along the way. For midlife women especially, it gives us a rare opportunity to remember and honour earlier versions of ourselves while appreciating who we are today.
Ten years on, these photos aren’t asking us to go back. They’re simply reminding us that we’ve lived many lives already - and there’s still room for much more.
