Throwback thursday

CEBU, Philippines - Reminiscing the good old days has become a trend in social media. It is called Throwback Thursday.

Throwback Thursday is an online trend where people post old pictures in social media sites every Thursday. Childhood photos or those from elementary, high school or college days are some of the pictures that dominate social media sites on a throwback Thursday.

If you are an active user of social media sites, chances are, every Thursday you have been seeing old photos from your friends on your Facebook or Instagram feed, accompanied by the hashtag #TBT. It stands for Throwback Thursday, which has become a big deal now among young and old internet users.

How did  #throwbackThursday came about? It was in March 2003 when the word "throwback" was included in the Urban Dictionary. The word is defined as "a sudden reminder of the past," which can be brought about by hearing a song from high school, for example. It is similar to flashback. In July 2006 to 2011 "Throwback Thursday" became popular in the blog community. On the same year the hashtags #throwbackthursday and #tbt also gained popularity in Instagram.

Last year, the term "Throwback Thursday" was included in the Urban Dictionary, defined as putting pictures a "while" ago in social sites.  Also in 2012, foreign and local celebrities started posting throwback Thursday pictures.

Join in the fun of throwback Thursdays by also posting your old photos. Here are some guidelines when you do so:

1.Throwback Thursday is all about comedic nostalgia. It can be a baby picture of you with an ice cream on your face or anything that is nearly as amusing. Throwback Thursday was founded on principles of comedic relief. Embrace it.

2.Timing is always essential. Refrain from tagging #TBT pictures when it is not Thursday.

3.It is all about commemorating vintage moments. Try and aim for non digital photos. Try to have a gap of a couple years.

4.You can't be posting pictures that are not even throwbacks but just a clear abuse to the popular trending topic.

Be it Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, Throwback Thursday's popularity is unstoppable. It has become a way of remembering the past and appreciating the present. It is just like having a photo album with old pictures online.