From Borax and Elmer’s Glue to Pokémon-filled Ziploc bags, 2016 feels both like yesterday and forever ago. As the arrival of 2026 officially turns some of the most iconic pop-culture moments a decade old, why not time-travel back to 2016 trends and look at how they compare today?
Starting with the kind of toy your teacher would ban from your elementary school classroom, fidget spinners were everywhere. From the classic three-pronged toy to the chromatic metal spinner everyone wanted, fidget spinners were the first interactive toy to go viral. Although it was originally shelved as any other toy, its frequent use in schools made people wonder:“Do kids need things like this in a classroom?” People became more aware of the kind of neurodivergence that helps some students focus, but also of the distraction fidget spinners caused in the overall class. Nowadays, with various fidget toys at hand for students, concentration in the classroom has become much easier.
In a similar vein, slime initially started as a fun DIY (Do It Yourself) project that could be played with at home, but transitioned into a well-known tool to help people relax. Soon after it blew up on TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube, content creators invented dozens of types of slime. There was slime made with full bottles of shaving foam, which was coined the term “fluffy slime,” and slime made with baby oil and air-dry clay called “butter slime,” and even “souffle slime,” which was left out to create a dried surface that was poked through to reach the slime. Even though kids aren’t trying to make slime with toothpaste or their mom’s shampoo in 2026, hundreds of slime shops and factories still successfully operate today, and viewers continue to consume slime and ASMR content online.
While fidget spinners and slime may be seen occasionally at hand today, not all trends from 2016 made it to 2026. Though it officially shut down in January of 2017, the decision to discontinue Vine was announced in late 2016. Vine was a short-form video app where dozens of generation-defining content creators like Danny Gonzalez, Quenlin Blackwell, Gabbie Hanna, and even the widely knownPaul brothers started their journey to fame. Notably, Vine emphasized unique content over trends, an idea that is not mirrored in today’s short-form content. The individuality and authenticity found in the app are why so many vines are still constantly quoted and referenced today.
While short-form content has drastically degraded content-wise, other forms of entertainment have maintained their popularity even today! The 2016 release of Stranger Things on Netflix marked the beginning of one of the most popular shows in the United States. Despite mixed reviews on the final season, the show remains at the top of many people’s watch lists today for its memorable characters and emotional story beats. The stars of 2016 from Stranger Things will also forever remember this year because the show was a crucial pivot point for the young adults’ careers. Stranger Things turned kids like Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink, and Noah Schnapp into the stars we see in movie theaters today. Even though the main show has officially ended, there are multiple spinoffs currently in the works, as well as a play that is currently running on Broadway.
Hence, it is safe to say that, despite 2016 ending 10 years ago, some things are here to stay. They may not be in the same shapes we found them in a decade ago, and there are definitely some parts we should leave behind for good — regardless, they’ll remain a part of our culture and history as we move on to find and create new ones.
