The "arbeit" emote is used ironically to comment on work, productivity, or effort - often in a sarcastic or humorous way. It's commonly used when streamers or viewers mention having to work, doing productive activities, or when someone is grinding or putting in effort in a game. The glitchy visual style adds to its meme-like quality, making it popular for expressing the chaotic or stressful nature of work. It can be used both genuinely (acknowledging someone's hard work) and sarcastically (mocking the concept of being productive).
Origin
The "arbeit" emote originated from German streamer and content creator "arbeitsscheu" (whose name means "work-shy" or "lazy" in German). The emote features the word "arbeit" (German for "work") in a stylized, glitchy chromatic aberration text effect with a dark background. It became popular in the German-speaking Twitch community around 2020-2021 as a custom emote on 7TV and BetterTTV platforms. The emote plays on the ironic contrast between the word "work" and the streamer's username that suggests laziness.
When to use
When a streamer mentions they have to work the next day or are streaming instead of working
During grinding sessions in games where repetitive tasks are required
When viewers are procrastinating and should be working
In response to someone mentioning their job or work responsibilities
Sarcastically when someone is being lazy or avoiding work
In German-speaking Twitch communities as a cultural in-joke
When discussing productivity, schedules, or the grind mentality
