The 'You Have Died of Dysentery' meme originates from the educational computer game The Oregon Trail, first released in the 1970s and widely played in schools throughout the 80s and 90s. In the game, players manage a wagon party traveling to Oregon, often meeting abrupt and unceremonious ends due to various hazards, with dysentery being the most notoriously common cause of death. Over time, the pixelated green-on-black game over text became a cultural shorthand for unexpected failure or the harsh realities of life. It is now used across the internet to humorously emphasize that even the smallest mistake or stroke of bad luck can lead to a total disaster, serving as a nostalgic emblem of Gen X and Millennial childhood frustration.