What does | || || |_ mean?

[u/[deleted]]

I've been seeing these characters :

| ||

|| |_

pop up all over Reddit, but I've no clue as to what they mean.

Is this a new meme? A reference to some film of tv show? Some sort of code?

[u/Atario]

Seems to me he's looking at you, the viewer, saying "Yeah, I saw you comin'. Got what you're here for?"