identicallooking

identicallooking is an online trend that involves creating or curating collections of images, videos, or design elements that appear visually identical or virtually indistinguishable. The term combines "identical" with the suffix “looking,” reflecting the focus on visual sameness rather than semantic content. The phenomenon gained prominence on image-sharing platforms and social media sites such as Instagram, Tumblr, and later Reddit, where users shared repeated patterns or identical photographs taken at different times or locations. It is often employed to challenge viewers’ perception, to create hypnotic or meditative sequences, or to critique the quantification of visual media in the age of algorithmic curation.

The origins can be traced to early 2010s digital art communities, where VJ artists and glitch enthusiasts experimented with replication over time. In 2016, the concept was popularized by the subreddit r/identicallooking, where posts consist of a series of nearly identical pictures with subtle color variations or timing differences. These posts are frequently used to illustrate the human tendency to seek novelty in familiar forms and to test algorithms that detect duplicates.

Critics argue that excessive replication can contribute to visual fatigue and detract from creative diversity. Proponents, however, claim that the practice encourages closer inspection, mindful consumption, and can serve as a meditative exercise. Like many internet phenomena, it remains a contested space with ongoing discourse about its artistic value versus its potential for redundancy.