Nostalgia for 2016 has been circulating on the internet over the last few weeks. People welcomed the new year by reminiscing 10 years into the past, sharing decade-old photos of themselves online. There is even a Wikipedia page for “2026 is the new 2016”.
Of course, 2016 was before the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world and the widespread use of generative AI (artificial intelligence) made us question what on our feeds was real and fake.
Back then, people used social media mostly to stay connected with their friends and family, and feeds were free of algorithm-driven ads for products fighting for our attention.
Below, we take a look at some of the cultural trends and headline makers of 2016.
Travel
It is no surprise that Japan was Hongkongers’ favourite destination even 10 years ago. However, with the exchange rate not as favourable as it is today – about 15 yen to a Hong Kong dollar in 2016 as opposed to about 20 yen to a Hong Kong dollar in 2026 – travellers also looked for alternatives in the region.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.scmp.com ’
