23 and missing the 2016 Me

2016. What a time to be alive.

The year we all swear felt like the peak of existence. At least according to how we talk about it now. Let’s be real, most of us craving 2016 again were teenagers. Either just entering our teen years or at the very tail end of them.

Crop tops, chokers, and following the one and only King Kylie.

It was easier. Life felt simpler. But I think that’s because everything was already laid out for us. We didn’t have to figure out balance, adult friendships, family dynamics, or trauma yet.

I don’t speak for everyone, but when you’re a teenager, the things that feel huge at the time end up feeling so small when you look back at them. Maybe that’s because in ten years you look back at it haha a little a boogie reference there, but it appears smaller over time.

But now oh gosh now we’re in 2026. So close to 2030. I actually squirm thinking about it. How were we just in quarantine? Facing a pandemic? TikTok had just become the thing. Learning a new 15-second dance was keeping our sanity intact.

And now… it’s all “back to normal.” Sort of.

Except this time, we’re adults. Not 15 or 16 anymore.

Our biggest “problem” back then wasn’t rent, burnout, or identity. It was, “OMG Jeremy hasn’t answered my Snap but he opened it and posted on his story.” And for some reason, we made it a thing that every problematic guy’s name started with a J.

So what did we do? We posted a TBH or RATE? to show him he wasn’t our only option. The roster was long. Act right. That was peak petty. P-E to the T-T-Y.

And honestly? I get why we want to click our heels three times and go back.

But here’s why I put “problem” in quotes both then and now. Because just like you didn’t know how you’d survive Jeremy the player or high school drama, you did. You figured it out. You persevered and got through it.

And the same way this moment feels scary and unknown… we’ll get through this too.

But there’s another reason 2016 felt so good.

We were with our friends. Really with them.

School ended at two or three, and the rest of the day was ours. We were present with the people we connected with most. And notice I said connected, because nowadays… we don’t really do that.

We’re scared. we are so self-aware we block people from getting too close. But that’s a topic for another day.

We’re adults now, and we look at teenagers who seem “ahead” of us on social media living in high rises in the most expensive city so somewhere along the way, we adopted this do whatever it takes mentality. And it’s not entirely our fault. We’re being fed it constantly. To be in competition with everyone.

We open Instagram or TikTok and there’s a thumbnail screaming success. One person with a mic and a bold caption is all it takes. You click it, and suddenly that idea is living rent-free in your head. You start subconsciously shaping your life around it even if it means using people because of the status they provide.

Today has become a numbers game.

There’s this whole stigma around California that you won’t be taken seriously unless you have a certain amount of followers. Some events don’t even require a ticket anymore they require a following.

That’s dystopian. And honestly? Creepy.

Following equals verified. Verified equals worth. Without it? Good luck.

And that’s why we miss 2016. We weren’t climbing ladders. We didn’t care. We used dog-face filters, had flower crowns, and felt free.

What happened to being genuine?

Now we call selfishness self-care and treat people as replaceable for “peace.” And listen I’m not saying don’t have boundaries. Have them. But don’t cut people off just because they’re not serving you the exact way you expect.

Communicate.

Stop being scared of confrontation. That’s how real relationships and friendships grow.

We don’t walk away at the first “red flag” anymore we sprint. And let’s be honest, everything is a red flag now. We value the opinions of strangers who aren’t professionals and don’t know us, instead of thinking for ourselves.

I’m not trying to be mean. There’s just truth in it.

In 2016, we had originality. We didn’t care how we expressed ourselves. Now we’re trying to recreate the past because we don’t know how to make this time our own.

And that requires decisions AI can’t make for us.

Here’s the truth: we can’t go back. There’s no magic pair of red heels that lets us time travel. But we can look inward.

Ask yourself:

• Are you being influenced by what you consume?

  
  

• Do you actually know your friends beyond what they “offer” socially? 

  
  

• Are you confusing connection with clout? (remember that’s temporary and fake compared to genuine connection)

One day maybe not now but Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be just like MySpace, Tumblr, and let’s face it… Facebook.

So, as we said a little earlier than 2016 ain’t nobody got time for that. 

So, stop wasting time on people you think will help you climb a ladder.

Pour into yourself. Connect genuinely. Grow with the people who bring out the best version of you. The ones you laugh uncontrollably with and forget you even have a phone because you become so present with them.

The ones you can be yourself with no matter the year.

Those are the people who will always make you feel like it’s 2016.

thank you for coming back ♡

Davyne signing out