The votes are in and millennial optimism is back with all its props: avocado toast, BuzzFeed quizzes, a stomp-clap-hey playlist, and, of course, a Coexist sticker.

A blue tsunami swept the 2026 midterm elections. The Democrats won their first senate seat in Kansas since 1932, and flipped the notoriously red state of Texas blue, taking the governorship and a senate seat, and won control over both chambers of congress, sparking widespread celebration.

The blue festivities continued beyond the late-night victory parties, flooding social media platforms with thousands of posts where users reclaimed the bygone era of optimism and the collective feeling of hope and possibility. 

“This is what millennial optimism felt like,” one user said on X, with another adding, “as an elder millennial, I’ve forgotten how to handle optimism.”

For most, translating the feeling into a post is easiest done by referencing iconic pieces of media at the time, from the websites one visited to the songs that filled their playlists.

“Millennial optimism is back baby. I’m blasting Florence and the Machine bass boosted the dog days ARE over,” one user said in a post with over 18,000 likes.

 A user added, “they’re gonna bring buzzfeed back.” Another replied, “resistance is back so hard, this app is about to be renamed twitter.” 

’s We Are Young while election coverage filled the screens.

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