If you’ve ever been on the internet, you have most probably encountered a “cursed image.” The term refers to pictures that are seen as uncomfortable to look at or even disturbing for the viewer. This can happen for various reasons, from poor quality to the content, which appears to be lacking common sense or is totally abnormal.

According to Know Your Meme, “Images of this or similar nature are sometimes seen as the visual equivalent to CreepyPasta. They have inspired several popular social media accounts devoted to posting various cursed images. The opposite of cursed images are referred to as 'blessed,' while images that are both cursed and blessed are referred to as 'blursed,'” the website explains.

The question remains what makes a cursed image “cursed.” Is it in the nature of an image, or rather is it due to a viewer’s interpretation that can create scenarios and meanings which were not initially present in the same image? It’s true that our imagination tends to deceive us, but the internet is just as notorious in blurring boundaries between real and fiction.

Lina Survila, a connoisseur of internet culture and the creator of metaverse news newsletter The Wearables Daily, argues that cursed images have become a certain alternative for memes.

“Now, it's used to visually show how absurd the situation can be. Something unpleasant to watch can be anything from a baby without a hat in cold winter to just a moment of bizarre surroundings,” she told Bored Panda in an interview. She added that “in real life, it looked and felt just so normal.”

Moreover, Survila argues that cursed images are an interesting phenomenon because they illustrate that sometimes when you're looking from a different perspective, the whole thing can look like a different story.

Having said that, “cursed images can also be damaging if used in not the right context. It could help to illustrate a false story or even propaganda,” Survila explained. “Without any explanation, images can circulate on the internet, hyping people with very wrong intentions.”

“My advice would be, don't always assume that everything you see is true. I guess this is why those images are so popular after all - because, in the right context, they can do a good job at misleading people,” she concluded.