Screenshots of Despair originated as a popular Tumblr blog curated by Josh Gordon, dedicated to capturing the unintentional sadness and cold irony found within user interfaces and digital notifications. The meme style focuses on technical errors, automated messages, or dating app rejections that take on a deeply existential or nihilistic tone when viewed out of context. It resonates with modern audiences by highlighting the contrast between cold, unfeeling technology and complex human emotions. Users often create their own versions to mock the absurdity of modern life, social isolation, and the weirdly personal nature of computer-generated failures.