Mid-20s Look Back at Teenage with Nostalgia
One post that struck a chord widely was from a city-based marketing professional who shared a picture of his old TSRTC bus pass from 2016. “That pass meant freedom,” he wrote.
Hyderabad: A steady stream of posts from people comparing their current lives with those in their teenage years has taken over social media feeds, as users look back at an earlier phase of adulthood to explain why life today feels heavier, faster and more demanding.
Across Instagram, X, Snapchat, and Facebook, people are posting old photos, screenshots of playlists, memories from hostels, and daily routines from 2016, which was 10 years ago. The posts are not about celebrating the past, but about explaining a sense of loss many say they struggle to put into words.
Hyderabad-based architect Anusha Rao said the post came after a Google Photos reminder surfaced an image from her college days. “I had problems then too, but they did not follow me all day. I was not constantly reachable. Life felt manageable,” she said.
One post that struck a chord widely was from a city-based marketing professional who shared a picture of his old TSRTC bus pass from 2016. “That pass meant freedom,” he wrote. “I could travel anywhere without checking my balance or fuel price. I met friends because I could just get on a bus.”
Speaking to this newspaper, he said the response surprised him. “So many people said the same thing. That bus pass was not about transport. It was about independence without pressure,” Harin V, told Deccan Chronicle.
Several users say 2016 stands out because phones had not yet taken over every pause in the day. Messages did not demand instant replies. Friendships grew through regular meetings, not constant updates. “I posted a hostel photo without any caption,” said Sai Kiran, now working in finance. “People knew exactly what it meant. We were broke, but we laughed more.”
Psychologist Dr Meera Seshadri said the trend mirrors a deeper exhaustion among people now in their late twenties and thirties. “Work does not stop at the office. Comparison is constant. Looking back helps people remember a phase where mistakes felt less permanent and choices felt open,” she said.
She added that most people are not trying to go back in time. “They are trying to recover parts of life that felt human. Slower days. Fewer demands. Space to exist without judgement.”
“I do not want 2016 back,” said product manager Rohit Jain. “I just want a little of that pace again.”
As the posts keep coming, the trend feels “less like nostalgia and more like an attempt to understand when life became so full, and how to make room again,” Jain said.