Simply Nal: What is with Throwback Thursday?

throwback thursday #tbt instagram

Are you one of those social media fanatics who uses the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday, #TBT, or #Throwback when the day hits well, Thursday? Ever posted an old picture or anything that is a memento of the 90's or so? Had you ever wondered how this weekly trend or hashtag game began? I did.

Throwback Thursday basically refers to old (not ancient) pictures uploaded only on Thursday. Considering this started in the era of the techie generation, the only reasonable source of information would be internet itself. Unfortunately, even with the unlimited resources found in the internet, it is hard to trace back and pinpoint the exact origin of this popular online craze especially on Instagram and Twitter. So far, this is the best timeline of the phrase Throwback Thursday I could make of from my resources:

2003 (March) - the word Throwback was first defined in the Urban Dictionary.

2006 (January) - first known blog appearance on Saxton Moore's blog.

2006 (July) - the first Throwback Thursday series started by Nice Kicks' blog.

2006 (July) - for the first time, Georgia Tech football game was themed Throwback Thursday.

2011 (February) - the first recorded Instagram hashtag of the phrase was made by @bobbysanders22 on his hot wheels photo but there's no guarantee that this was actually the first one in the said application.

2011 - it became popular in the blog community

2011 (November) - the hashtags #throwbackthursday and #tbt became Instagram's recurring trend.

2012 (January) - the phrase Throwback Thursday was included in the Urban Dictionary.

2012 (February) - socialite Kim Kardashian began her series of Throwback Thursday photos on Instagram and Twitter.

2012 - Throwback Thursday and #tbt gains popularity all over the social media channels inlacing, but not limited to, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, Pinterest, and Facebook.

And the rest is history.

The So-Called #ThrowbackThursday Rules

Yes, there are apparently rules before uploading any of your photos and tagging them as #throwbackthursday or #tbt.

1. TBT is all about comedic nostalgia. We know you looked cute as a baby, but posting angelical pictures of yourself is not nearly as amusing. Throwback Thursday was founded on principles of comedic relief. Embrace it.

2. Timing is essential. So refrain from tagging #TBT pictures when it is in fact not Thursday. This should be a no-brainer.

3. Throwback Thursdays are all about commemorating vintage moments. Try and aim for non-digital photos that were probably taken from your Polaroid iZone. If you are #TBT-ing to last week’s Thursday, you’re doing it wrong. Try to have a gap of a couple years.

4. You can’t be hashtagging pictures that are not even throwbacks but just a clear abuse to the popular hashtags. This also includes “Celebrity Throwbacks.” Unless you were childhood friends with Ryan Gosling, this is a major DON’T.

5. #SelfieThrowback: Unless you were rolling around as a baby taking pictures of yourself, there is no such thing.

by: Velocity Agency

Of course, knowing me, I never just go with rules. I try to contest them if I can. So here's my comments on those so-called rules.

I never knew that. I thought all along that its just about creating a feeling of nostalgia.

It is quite logical that you may find #throwbackthursday photos being uploaded on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday your time because time (and dates) all around the world varies from a few minutes to 24 hours.

While I do agree with a couple of years gap, at least 5, for the photo, I don't exactly agree with the camera used. There are already digital cameras (and even SLRs) dating back 5 years ago. But I do understand this point of view because it is really easier to create a feeling of nostalgia if you do see blurry, unclear photos created by those old cameras.

Totally agree. Its more about respect of ownership more than anything else as to why I agree with this. As a long time instagramer, its really important to only upload pictures you owned because everyone will see those as yours.

Hahaha, again, I agree. Although selfie is quite popular for years it doesn't in any way create a nostalgic effect except for yourself's amusement. There is nothing there that needs to be commemorated.

#ThrowbackThursday Photos

I admit that I'm not one of the millions of people who go about uploading a Throwback Thursday picture be it be in Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, Pinterest, and Facebook but it doesn't mean that I don't look at those photos. Here are five of my favorite photos recently uploaded by other Instagramer.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] #throwbackthursday baby picture

Ah, why do they even save your crying face photo? You clearly don't want to be there. But what makes this all the more familiar is that hand gripping the kid. Parents just wanted to have a baby picture of their child but they want it with them sitting even though its not yet probable.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] #throwbacktursday fashion

Parties are quite simpler before, even the decorations aren't as appealing as todays. However, what makes it more amusing is to realize that you're wearing something before that you wouldn't today.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] #tbt startrek troupers

Yeah, so would forget those guys that fought bad aliens to protect the universe or Earth? A theme that had once been the most popular one for years.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] #Throwback #thursday birthday candle

No matter how intelligent you are today, you were once a kid who couldn't blow your birthday cake's candle. Everyone had been through that.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] throwback thursday embarrassing photo

You finally brought your friends home and then someone decided to show them your baby pictures only for you to realize a tad too late that it also includes your embarrassing photos. Everyone has one but that doesn't stop us from being embarrassed nonetheless.[/caption]

DUMB and GENIUS hopes you’d enjoy your time here ^-^