In the year 2016, we were already becoming aware of how dire the future could become.
As social media is filled with nostalgic images from a decade ago, it seems that this sense of reminiscence doesn't quite evoke the same feelings as before.
Every new year prompts us to reflect, often with a mix of dread and awe, on just how far we've traveled through time. It is indeed peculiar to consider that our lives, up until now, are part of history itself and that we continuously progress into it. There appears to be an essential lesson to be learned by examining our recent past and feeling almost estranged from it: Was I really that person back then, blissfully unaware of everything that would unfold between then and now? In a different city, in love with someone else? Sporting those old outfits?
Thus, as we usher in 2026, many of us have taken the customary stroll down memory lane to revisit our photo archives. The self-reflective nature of social media transforms this action into a collective experience, with everyone sharing their snapshots from 2016 in an effort to gain insight into a decade that may have flown by but felt interminable as we endured its trials. Some individuals recall their struggles during that time, others celebrate their successes, while many reflect on the aspects of their identities that were evolving without their knowledge.
However, the unique twist in this narrative is that for countless people, 2016 represents both a horrific tragedy and the final breath of a semblance of normalcy. For the United States—and regrettably, the world at large—the election of Donald Trump, fueled by a surge of far-right extremism, heralded years of geopolitical unrest, economic turmoil, and a relentless barrage of anti-humanitarian actions. "I think there’s so much emphasis on looking back at 2016 because things really went downhill after that," one user expressed this week on X, capturing the anxious nostalgia that has permeated social media lately. Indeed, many have shared their innocent selfies as though they were images of someone about to face an impending disaster.
Yet, it’s important to acknowledge that we had some foresight regarding what lay ahead in 2017 and beyond. During the election season, it became apparent that regardless of the outcome, Trump’s candidacy was a troubling indication of things to come. We cringed when Hillary Clinton urged voters to "Pokémon Go to the polls," recognizing that her struggle to connect with the electorate made her particularly vulnerable as Trump honed his crude yet effective populist rhetoric. The Republican candidate was hardly an enigma; he had been a sleazy tabloid figure since the 1970s. The numerous warnings about the potential consequences of his presidency—some even from within the GOP, who later capitulated to the MAGA movement—have proven to be remarkably accurate. While few anticipated the catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the brazen renovations to the White House, corruption, cozy relations with authoritarian leaders, dismantling of federal institutions, and the deployment of masked agents against American citizens have all aligned with the grim predictions made by alarmists.
What makes those photos from 2016 especially poignant is that even at that time, we sensed a brighter future eluding our grasp. We worried that everything we had taken for granted was on the verge of being destroyed by chaotic, reactionary forces. This year was often dubbed "the worst year ever" by many who were eager to move on, even as there was a widespread expectation of increased suffering on the horizon. The pangs we feel today when we glance back at that time serve as reminders that we were barely hanging on.
I personally began that significant year by relocating across the country to Los Angeles, a sprawling city that was entirely new to me. Before long, my long-term relationship fell apart, I left my job to work for a minimal hourly wage at a bookstore, and I ended up moving into the back room of a messy shared house that frequently attracted helicopters circling overhead. I didn't enjoy suddenly feeling adrift right after turning 30, but since the chaos was of my own doing, I reassured myself that I could handle it.
What I struggled to cope with was witnessing America unraveling. I vividly remember seeing a man wearing a Trump shirt at my favorite taco truck—this was shortly after a co-founder of Latinos for Trump had frightened viewers on television by suggesting that unchecked immigration from Mexico would lead to "taco trucks on every corner." At that moment, I realized I was utterly lost. On election night, as I took an Uber home from a friend's house, the driver, noticing my despondent mood, remarked that the outcome was irrelevant since the Rothschild banking family essentially controlled the government. That comment was an unsettling preview of the conspiratorial madness that would flourish during Trump’s presidency.
Perhaps, then, 2016 marked the year we truly lost touch with reality. The emergence of fake news and viral misinformation spiraled into QAnon, election denial, and eventually deepfakes and state-sponsored AI nonsense. Looking back at our younger selves in those photos, we can see individuals who were not yet numbed by these distortions, who genuinely believed in the possibility of agreeing on fundamental truths. They were undoubtedly anxious and scared, yet they attempted to convince themselves that reason could prevail. And perhaps there is hope for reason in a society that manages to outlast Trump and works to heal the deep scars he has inflicted.
That hope feels more fragile than ever, flickering like a dying flame, making it painful to remember that we once relied on it day by day. However, if we were also remarkably perceptive about the direction things would take following 2016, then we possess the capability to envision a way out of this bleak era. You may feel sympathy for your past self for the challenges they would face, or you could draw strength from their experiences. Regardless of the obstacles, they persevered and made it to 2026.
