I started seeing ghosts of the prior decade a few days after 2026 began, when acquaintances and friends began posting photos “like it was 2016.”

They showed off their exaggerated eyebrows, Brandy Melville tops, white Converse and Snapchat filters with saturated colors that added puppy dog ears to users in the shot. The “2016” trend took off on Instagram shortly after, with celebrities and brands – including USA TODAY – capitalizing on the nostalgia.

When I went through my Photos app a few days ago, I found evidence of the tattooless 18-year-old I once was: blonde highlights, beaded choker with a moon charm hugging the base of my neck and heavy brown eye makeup that was the hallmark of someone who owned one of Urban Decay’s Naked palettes.

I didn’t feel sentimental looking at my past self – I felt something closer to shame, or perhaps anxiety about the passage of time and the loss of innocence. I didn’t know it at........

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