The 'Linus Selfie' meme originated from a video thumbnail and intro by Linus Sebastian of the popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips. In early 2020, Linus posted a video titled 'I've been thinking of retiring,' featuring a solemn, close-up selfie that captured a rare moment of vulnerability and sadness. The internet immediately latched onto the exaggerated perspective and his dejected expression, turning it into a universal symbol for mock apologies, genuine disappointment, or the feeling of seeing your bank account after building a high-end gaming PC. It remains one of the most recognizable tech-centric meme templates, used to convey 'sad boy' energy within the hardware and gaming communities.