Soon, it might not be necessary to visit Grandma and Grandpa to hear stories about when they were kids, as what may be the next “big thing” in social networking has just been launched. Aimed at enabling friends and family to stay connected while preserving and sharing memories, Proust is an interactive website that allows users to create “storybooks” which include photos, timelines, and maps to supplement “chapters” about the various facets of their lives.
Proust is free and bills itself as being “easy to use,” with options of keeping your “storybook” private or public; although it’s marketed to all generations, the website may be especially attractive to seniors who like the idea of telling their stories while staying connected to loved ones, but don’t feel quite at home on the Facebook scene.
“Today, every living generation is online. The web is now ready to be used to capture our most important moments and meaningful memories, not just frivolous status updates,” said Tom Cortese, co-founder and CEO of Proust, in a statement. “It can and should be a deeper, more permanent place and, together, the Proust storybook, timeline and map make it possible to capture what makes you and your loved ones so unique and preserve it for generations to come.”
Proust says it’s named after—and based off of—19th Century French writer Marcel Proust’s Questionnaire, which evolved after a childhood treat unleashed a flood of nostalgic memories from the writer. The website uses writing prompts, in the form of chapter topics, to help users “unlock memories” to help them tell their stories.
Proust was founded by Tom Cortese and Jason Fotinatos in 2010, and is owned by InterActive Corp. Visit proust.com for more information.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
