One of my new favorite things recently is the Timehop App. I had seen this used by some people on social media and thought it was cute. It’s an app that curates your content from the social media accounts you choose and shows you what you posted on this date over the past few years. You can share those photos and posts again via the app, if you choose.
When I hopped on a month or so ago, I did not anticipate how very much I enjoy these quick peeks into the past. Here are seven surprising reasons I love the Timehop app and why you may like it, too.
1. Reminds me of how far I have come, and how much life can change in a relatively short period of time.
I certainly wasn’t the first to hop on social media and, truth be told, I was a rather late adapter. But I still have 5 years of history, and when I started with my first tentative posts on this crazy thing called Facebook, my life looked very, very different than it does now.
When I signed up for Timehop, I hadn’t given that much thought. I didn’t realize that I’d be looking back at the time I was a single parent, or remembering the anniversary of when the man who is now my husband proposed. (Yeah, I probably should have remembered that on my own, but we’re all good.) To see the lonely, frustrated posts juxtaposed with the very joyous times is powerful.
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect,” said Anaïs Nin and Timehop fascinates me with how different some things taste the second time around, and how some victories and moments maintain their sweetness.
2. Peeking into the past is more emotional than I anticipated.
I love the photos. There was one photo of my daughter looking so very little that have made me say “awwww” with such emotion that my husband came rushing to see what was going on. The look on his face when I said, “Oh, just looking at Timehop” was perhaps nonplussed, but when I showed him, he was as emotional as I was. I loved seeing that photo that I otherwise wouldn’t have given a thought to that day.
3. Timehop may just keep history from repeating itself.
There are other remembrances of things I’ve blocked out, like a big computer problem with my Dell (I switched to Apple shortly thereafter and promptly forgot I ever had a Dell until reading that reminder from 5 years ago.) I’m hoping it will keep me from repeating past mistakes.
4. It helps keep my social media usage in check.
Last year, I had the flu, my husband was traveling and I was feeling quite sorry for myself. I’m embarrassed at the fact that I posted rants instructing the virus to vacate my body immediately, as if the H1N1 bug checked its own social media account. I’m sorry, everyone. I feel sheepish looking back on that. I won’t do that again. (See point above about not making past mistakes.)
5. It has fun ‘On this date in history’ facts.
I love that this app shares random facts. It isn’t all about me, and that’s a good thing. Each day it shares something that happened on this date. The facts are not usually of huge significance (today’s is about the winner of the Super Bowl in 2003), but I like having the context, the occasional memory jogger, and the random information. Facts forever!
6. Cuteness and affirmations.
The mascot that appears several times on the app is a cute dinosaur. I don’t know why, but the little dude makes me happy. (His name is Abe (for Abraham Lincoln) and he’s very nonjudgmental. Never thought I’d like an app mascot, but to my surprise, I have a sweet spot for this one.
Next to the dinosaur is an affirmation. Today’s was “We wish we had a time machines so we could go back and hang out with past Shannan.” They have no idea how I wish I could do the same. Fear not, I’m sure they don’t actually wish that, but on days when I’m feeling a bit embarrassed about postings I made years ago, it’s a nice pick me up. Affirmations are good, and I didn’t expect them from Timehop.
Sometimes it just says “I hope no one notices I’m not wearing pants.” I’ll take the giggle.
7. It’s not a major time commitment.
Life is busy, and I’m not thinking “I really should put more time into social media.” Timehop is quick. I spend a minute or two each day looking at this, but what I get out of it makes it worth the minimal investment.
Granted, I don’t interact with friends on it, and I’m sure I could dive down that rabbit hole for hours. Instead, it’s my personal portal to the past. It makes me laugh, think and sometimes cry, and those are what I hope to do each day. Because it helps me do that, without taking time away from living in the moment today, this app one of my very favorites.
Mom Fact: 12 million people are using Timehop, double the number who used it 6 months ago, and it’s growing by leaps and bounds, according to this TechCrunch article.
Nope, I’m not affiliated with Timhop in any manner, shape, or form, and not at all compensated for this post. Just sharing my favorite things that I think you may also appreciate. Bloggers get paid with “likes” so if you want to toss one of those my way, I’d be grateful!
Related posts: Why breakfast matters for kids and how No Kid Hungry is making a difference
Prior post: On National Hug Day, 4 ways hugs make you healthier
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