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As Franklin’s seniors trudge through the second semester of the school year, we find ourselves in an odd position: the liminal space between childhood and adulthood. In just three months, our paths will split, and we will leave these hallowed halls behind. As we prepare for this transition, it’s easy to become demotivated, and studying and completing assignments can become increasingly difficult. Right now, symptoms of “senioritis” — slang for an affliction students may come down with in their final year of high school, characterized by a mix of burnout, lack of motivation, and quiet detachment — are becoming increasingly noticeable at Franklin. Assignments that once felt urgent now seem optional, and attendance begins to feel like a chore. Instead of studying, seniors start counting down the days to graduation, as the passion that once came from working towards future prospects is replaced by restless distraction. All too often, we turn to social media, where endless scrolling offers the illusion of escape. While social media does provide a convenient pastime, it quietly consumes the time and focus we are meant to devote to our responsibilities, ones that, unfortunately, did not disappear as we made plans for the future. Social media can act as a diversion in more ways than one; often, teens use nostalgia to cope with anxieties about the future.
In December of 2025, posts began circulating on platforms like TikTok and X, ringing in the new year. Many teens became overcome with sentimentality after the heavy realization that it had been 10 whole years since 2016. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, the internet flooded with users posting throwback pictures and videos, recounting trends that had gone viral ten years prior, and becoming obsessed with the notion that 2026 will become the new 2016. Songs like “Lush Life” by Zara Larsson, “Lean On” by DJ Snake, MØ, and Major Lazer, and many more quickly regained their viral status. At the heart of this trend is a nostalgia for an easier time, when current high school seniors were only nine or 10 years old. It’s understandable to feel nostalgic for this period, and taking time to remember the events that helped you grow is the first step toward moving on.
As graduation approaches, the idea that “2026 is the new 2016” reflects a longing for a simpler time. Ten years ago, our most exigent worry was whether it would be too cold to play outside; the world felt smaller and lighter. Now, seniors scroll through old photos and listen to throwback music, desperately grasping for childlike stability before we face our biggest transition yet. Nostalgia softens the pressure of what’s ahead, even if it means less motivation in the present.
In 2016, Franklin’s seniors were transitioning from second to third grade. As we did so, we began to form autobiographical memories — complex, long-term memory systems consisting of personal facts and specific scenes from an individual’s life. These memories, according to Psychology Today, allow us to reflect on the formative events that shape ourselves and our behaviors. Now, as high school seniors, we’re often hindered by expectations and worry, and many of us rely on these memories to remind us of an easier time. Interacting with media from one’s childhood often induces nostalgia and can be a helpful, healthy coping mechanism as we grow into adults. “In some cases, reflecting on positive memories from the past can be protective, helping young people feel grounded, safe, and connected during times of stress or transition,” says Justin Bush, a licensed psychologist of 16 years. “In that sense, nostalgia can support coping and emotional regulation.”
While professionals often frame nostalgia as a grounding and even protective response to stress, students living through this transition in real time often perceive it differently. “The way we remember things is never truly accurate to how they really happened, so if we’re convinced that our memories are positive, we are going to remember them as happy,” says Adalyn Rainey, a senior at Franklin. “I feel like nostalgia is definitely something that people use to escape reality and perceive life in a different way that might feel easier than usual, normal life.” Rainey does acknowledge that nostalgia can have its benefits, though.
“Looking back on being a kid usually sounds more appealing in general because of how much fun I had and how easy it was for me to stay entertained and happy,” Rainey reflects. “I think reverting back to our childhood is definitely a way to cope with having to move on and start becoming adults, because it’s really difficult to accept the fact that this is our official last year being kids.”
In this way, engaging in 2016 content is a way to say goodbye and let go of the last version of our childhood before everything changes. Personally, it’s difficult to imagine what my life is going to look like in six months. The last four years have felt like an endless inch–by–inch climb toward graduation, and it’s terrifying to think that in just 12 weeks, it will be over. Instead of allowing that fear to consume us, it’s important to embrace the feeling and find healthy ways to cope with it — even if it means posing for more selfies and blasting pop tunes from the 2010s as we take in every moment of high school we have left. “I think seniors can be extra nostalgic because our childhood is coming to an end,” states Kadyn Brines, a senior at Franklin. “It’s a way to look back and feel connected to our past [as] we face our future.”
