Is 2026 the new 2016?
A new year has officially begun, and whether it’s sticking to New Year’s resolutions or making fun plans, 2026 is set to be a great year and many of us are excited for what's to come. And it may be hard to believe – but the start of 2026 also means it’s been a decade since 2016.
To many of us, it may only feel like yesterday, but it was a year for memorable trends, challenges, memes, viral hits and more that are bound to leave you feeling nostalgic. On social media, particularly TikTok, one trend kicking off the new year has seen people style, do their make-up and use loved filters from that time, hailing that “2026 is the new 2016.”
But what do you remember about that year? Here, BBC Bitesize transports you back 10 years and takes a closer look at what got people talking back in the year 2016.
1. Trends, challenges and memes that were everywhere
There are so many things we could mention from 2016 – but here’s just a few standout trends, challenges and memes that you’ll likely remember. The first has to be The Mannequin Challenge which was a viral video trend where groups stood frozen while one person filmed them, usually with the song 'Black Beatles' by Rae Sremmurd playing in the background.
You may also remember the Bottle Flip Challenge, started by American high school student Mike Senatore. In a short video, the then-student walks up to a table on a stage in front of hundreds of peers and flips a bottle of water which lands upright – and from there, everyone else wanted to take on the challenge and film it.
When it comes to memes, Evil Kermit was everywhere online. Despite the image of the hooded green frog coming from 2014 musical Muppets Most Wanted, in 2016 it became a light-hearted meme that people used to express what an inner demon may say to you.
Another loved meme from 2016 was Arthur’s Fist – an image from popular children’s television series, Arthur. The still is taken from a 1999 episode, Arthur’s Big Hit, and the close-up of the clenched fist became widely used in 2016 with captions often describing something that frustrates or infuriates.
2. Social media entered a new era
They’ve been a part of social media for years now – but did you know that 2016 was the year that Facebook Live and Instagram Stories were introduced? When it comes to Facebook Live, it was technically launched in August 2015, but was limited to celebrities.
By 2016, it was rolled out globally to the public to use, enabling users to broadcast live videos and have real-time interaction, through comments sections and reaction buttons. As for Instagram, in 2016 its well-known vintage brown and neutral camera logo changed to its yellow, pink and purple gradient logo – and we also got a first taste of Instagram Stories.
Similarly to Snapchat Stories, it enabled users to post photo and video slideshows that disappear after 24 hours for the first time. While Snapchat filters came out prior to 2016 – we also wanted to give them a mention, as 2016 was also a time when most photos weren’t complete without a dog face or flower crown filter.
3. Many people became viral sensations
With so much happening on the internet and social media, it’s no surprise many people became a viral hit – and you’ll likely still remember them today. There are so many to mention, but one of the most memorable viral sensations of 2016 is Chewbacca Mom.
After buying a Star Wars Chewbacca mask, from US retail chain Kohl’s, Texas mum Candace Payne posted a video to the recently launched Facebook Live service showing a hilarious feature to the mask, which was the Chewbacca growl. The video racked up millions of views and saw Candace appear on many popular US shows and it’s no surprise that others rushed to buy their own Chewbacca mask to recreate the hilarious moment.
Another viral star of 2016 was Pikotaro – a fictional singer known for his viral single, PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen). Portrayed by Japanese comedian Daimaou Kosaka, the music video for the 45 second song became a huge hit after it was uploaded to YouTube that year.
It’s also been a decade since the viral Damn Daniel video, created by Daniel Lara and Joshua Holz. Filmed in a high school in California, US, Joshua filmed his friend Daniel walking around school while complimenting his style – particularly his shoes -while exclaiming ‘Damn Daniel!’ and “back at it again with the white Vans.”
4. We went on the hunt for Pokémon
In the summer of 2016, many will remember Pokémon Go was officially launched and became an instant hit. The augmented reality (AR) mobile game allowed players to find, catch and train virtual Pokémon for battle in the real world for the first time and was downloaded by people of all ages across the globe.
At the time, it wasn’t uncommon to see people out and about on the hunt for different species of Pokémon and making many friends along the way. Downloaded millions of times, it was one of the biggest mobile apps of the year and its popularity continues.
The app still exists today and through the years, various Pokémon Go events have taken in various cities worldwide. One of the most popular is the Pokémon Go Fest which is held annually.
5. Boaty McBoatface was named
In one of the more random things to happen in 2016, the public overwhelmingly voted for ‘Boaty McBoatface’ as the name of a £200m polar research ship. Suggested jokingly by former BBC Radio Jersey presenter James Hand, after the Natural Environment Reasearch Council (NERC) encouraged members of the public to suggest names, the name went viral and received a whopping 124,109 votes.
However, the name sadly wasn’t to be and that year, then Science Minister Jo Johnson announced that it would instead be named to honour broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. In the initial public vote, RRS Sir David Attenborough received 10,284 votes.
Although, the name wasn’t lost entirely. As a nod to the popular choice, the name Boaty McBoatface was adopted for one of its autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
6. Hatchimals hit the shelves
So many popular toys and gadgets have been loved and collected through the generations, standing the test of time. But often new ones also emerge on the shop shelves and go on to become big sellers.
This is the case for Hatchimals – first released in 2016. Produced by toy and entertainment company Spin Master, Hatchimals are magical mini-figures who live inside colourful eggs and “hatch” when you tap on the heart on the egg.
The toy quickly became a must-have and was highly in demand in Christmas 2016. There are so many other popular toys from that year that we could have included, but today, Hatchimals can still be found in various shops and online.
7. Stranger Things first aired
Created by the Duffer Brothers and Netflix, 2016 also marks 10 years since Stranger Things first came to our screens. The hit show, set during the 1980s, follows a group of friends protecting one another from dark forces that have come to Hawkins, Indiana, a fictional town in America.
We’ve seen the cast grow up before our eyes and at the end of 2025, the final episodes of the final series were released – although various accounts on social media have teased that there may be a “mystery” extra episode. Now into 2026, viewers are still catching up on the final episodes or starting the whole five seasons from the start.
If you haven’t watched Stranger Things at all, it is still streaming on Netflix and as set by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), it is set at a 15-age rating, meaning those watching the show should be 15 years or older. And if you haven’t already, you can take our BBC Bitesize quiz to find out which Stranger Things character you are here.
8. Apple Airpods were first released
When it comes to the latest tech, Apple Airpods really got people talking in 2016. Launched at the latter end of the year, the wireless Bluetooth earbuds were first announced by Apple alongside the iPhone7.
Prior to that, not many of us were listening to our music, podcasts or favourite shows without wired headphones. They still exist today, but the pod style wireless Bluetooth headphones remain popular, as well as classic big headphone set.
Since 2016, the Apple Airpods have remained popular, with various new generation versions being released through the years. But the excitement was real if you got you hands on the Apple Airpods for the first time a decade ago.
9. Songs that topped the charts
Just hearing a song released in 2016 can transport you back to 2016. But what were the biggest hits of that year?
It was a big year for artists like Beyonce who released her Grammy Award-winning album Lemonade and Justin Bieber who topped the chart with hits Sorry and Love Yourself. It’s also been 10 years since The Chainsmokers released song Closer with Halsey and another hit Don’t Let Me Down with Daya, songs that will likely instantly remind you of 2016 when you hear them.
A decade ago, Rihanna released her eighth album ANTI, her most recent album to be released to date. Other big songs that year included Cheap Thrills by Sia, featuring Sean Paul, Work from Home by Fifth Harmony, featuring Ty Dolla $ign and many more.
10. These were the biggest films of the year
The year 2016 was also a big year for film – from action to animation and much more. The biggest grossing film worldwide was Marvel Studio’s Captain America: Civil War, starring Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.
It was also a successful year for Star Wars, as Rogue One hit cinemas, as well as for numerous animation films. It may only feel recent, but it’s also been 10 years since Finding Dory, Zootopia and The Jungle Book live action was released.
Harry Potter fans also returned to the magical wizarding world as the first instalment of Fantastic Beasts, starring Eddie Redmayne, came to the big screen. And who could forget 2016 as being the year Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar for film The Revenant, which was released the year prior.
This article was written in January 2026