sideeye

The "sideeye" emote depicts a yellow or orange circular face glancing to the side with one visible eye. It's used to express suspicion, skepticism, disapproval, or judgment toward something happening in a stream or mentioned in chat. The emote effectively communicates a non-verbal "I'm watching you" or "I don't believe that" sentiment.

The "sideeye" emote is based on the universal facial expression of giving someone a skeptical or judgmental look from the corner of one's eye. While the specific yellow emoji-style version shown in the image has been widely used across various platforms, the concept gained significant popularity in internet culture around 2022-2023.

The expression became particularly viral through the "bombastic side eye" trend on TikTok, which originated from creator Malaika Norman who used the phrase "Bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye" in a reaction video. This meme quickly spread across social media platforms before being adopted into streaming culture.

The emote is available on third-party Twitch extension platforms like 7TV, BetterTTV (BTTV), and FrankerFaceZ (FFZ), where streamers and viewers can add custom emotes beyond Twitch's standard offerings.

The "sideeye" emote is commonly used in Twitch chat in the following situations:

• When a streamer makes a dubious claim or tells a story that seems exaggerated
• In response to questionable gameplay decisions or suspicious behavior
• When chat is skeptical about something the streamer or another chatter has said
• During awkward or cringe-worthy moments in a stream
• To express mild disapproval without being overtly negative
• When viewers want to playfully judge or question something in a non-confrontational way