If the internet feels more “samey” than it did a decade ago, that’s probably because it is. The rise of smartphones means everyone has a camera and while we like to think the rad photos we upload every day are unique, odds are there’s an image almost exactly like it elsewhere online. No better is this on show than the Instagram account “insta_repeat”.
The account, which has little in the way of a description other than “Déjà Vu Vibes. Wander. Roam. Replicate.”, has over 19,000 followers and 78 posts to its name, each featuring a collage of near-identical photos from other Instagram accounts.
Here’s one, described as “Feet in front of Horseshoe Bend”:
And another, with the tag “Person centered in a cave”:
Given the sheer number of photos people upload, it’s not surprising a lot of them look that same.
But, hopefully, just knowing insta_repeat exists might be enough to make you think twice before you take that amazing photo. Mix things up if you can, lest you end up on insta_repeat yourself.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2018/07/instagrams-new-activity-status-shows-when-youre-online-and-yes-you-can-turn-it-off/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768/hayqbscphe9zdsgcn7m4.png” title=”Instagram’s New Activity Status Shows When You’re Online, And Yes You Can Turn It Off” excerpt=”Instagram is getting that little green dot — the universal sign for “I’m available to chat, please bother me.” If, like me, you don’t need your friends to know when you’re mindlessly scrolling through photos in bed, you can easily turn the feature off.”]