Throwback Thursdays is a trend that stuck

Throwback Thursdays is a weekly social media trend where many users share posts of their fondest memories using the label #throwbackthursday or #tbt. It’s now as ubiquitous as tagging, and first appeared on Saxton Moore’s blog in 2006 when he titled his re-illustrated retro animations as “Throwback Thursdays.” Later that year, Matt Halfhill showed a similar weekly concept to market vintage sneakers on his blog on Thursdays.

But the first recorded use of the tag “#tbt” appeared in 2011 by Instagram user Bobby Sanders, who posted a photo of an old ‘Hot Wheels’ model car. It didn’t gain popularity, however, until Kim Kardashian used the hashtag on her Instagram in 2012. Now you find it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Flickr. Even state leaders and companies do it as a way to show common ground with their audience.

Throwback Thursdays are essentially about strong nostalgic moments. Southampton University studies indicate that nostalgia helps us feel socially connected and may even combat loneliness. The more we share past experiences with others the better our chances of forming connections with them.

The beauty of TBT is that anyone can participate. Most of us have old photos of ourselves, but they should be from a different era, five years or more ago, and viewers should be able to notice marked differences.  Pictures from a party the night before would not warrant a #tbt tag. Since it is a weekly phenomenon you should not post more than two pictures on the day so they can get recognition.

If you haven’t already, join the trend by posting those adorable baby pictures from your 5th birthday or that one with your friends from high school when you all sported the outdated hairstyle. For good effect, throw in songs that remind you of a memorable past event. You can even access your twitter archive and post an old tweet that was very popular among your network.

The best TBTs are interactive. So incorporate themes and tag friends. Be a part of this fun experience and remember sharing your past via social platforms helps you to connect with others.