The 'Sad Linus' meme originated from a January 2020 video titled 'I've been thinking about retiring' by Linus Sebastian, the face of the popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips. In the video, a visibly emotional and unkempt Linus discusses his potential departure from the tech community. A screenshot of his somber, close-up face quickly became a viral reaction image used to convey deep sadness, regret, or the feeling of being overwhelmed by life's failures. It is particularly popular in gaming and hardware circles to mock poor purchasing decisions or frustrating technical issues that leave a person staring blankly into their webcam.