Every decade’s trends come back, for better or worse. No matter how you felt about them, the early 2010s were iconic, and many have noticed fads and cultural elements returning. First, let’s start with fashion; the Uggs. The Uggs were a statement of the early 2010s and — whether you thought they were ugly or cute — you saw them. Now what are you seeing all the time? You could say they never left, but I would disagree. 

Another classic of the early 2010s was tracksuits. Even though I think they are ugly,  they are now chic in 2024. But, the biggest way the early 2010s are coming back is through the media. 

The iconic dystopian movie genre peaked in the early 2010s with the Hunger Games trilogy, the Maze Runner movies, and even Divergent, which are now resurgent. The Hunger Games in particular saw a renaissance early last year with the prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes doing so well at the box office and being such a hot topic, we are reliving that era.

The revival goes past just the media, however, even the actors in the originals had massive boosts in popularity due to the prequel. Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss in The Hunger Games, is at the center of pop culture again. This renaissance of not only the movies coming back but also the culture and the actors proves how desperate people are for another early 2010s. I noticed this a lot at the end of last year, 2010s music came back into my life and it was for the better. 

The early 2010s were,— for a lot of us, — our childhood. This is emphasized with COVID being right at the decade change, very clearly separating the two. Pre-COVID — our childhoods — was another life compared to the current years. Being indoors for a year due to lockdown has such a stark contrast when compared to the years prior. 

The early 2010s are remembered as fun, lighthearted, and carefree and while I know those are not necessarily accurate depictions, it is how many of us felt. The early 2010s are bound to come back and it might be sooner than you think.

So, with the knowledge that the era is back on the rise, what trends should come back? Vine, Fidget Spinners, and Silly bands are some I think should make a return. However, when talking about media coming back around, like The Hunger Games as much as love the books and movies glorify murder in a way that I don’t think should come back. Some trends should firmly stay beyond the bands of COVID. 

The early 2010s are often romanticized as are our childhoods but the trends returning around leave room for us to dissect them and question their influence.