Millennials had barely moved past the word «niche» when social media was suddenly flooded with the concept of «aura» — something every teenager now seems to be chasing. Kursiv LifeStyle breaks down what «aura farming» is and how viral social media moments have helped fuel the trend.
What is aura farming?
«Aura farming» is the deliberate attempt to cultivate an image of oneself as confident, cool or simply attention-grabbing. «Aura» refers to a perceived measure of a person’s charisma, while «farming» implies the act of growing or harvesting something. In the language of younger generations, this means intentionally accumulating «aura» by performing impressive or memorable actions.
A prime example of an «aura farming» star is Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old boy from Indonesia. During a longboat race, he stood at the bow of the boat wearing sunglasses and dancing while adult athletes behind him rowed toward the finish line. A video of his performance went viral on social media, garnering millions of views. Users dubbed the boy the «King of Aura,» and athletes and other users began imitating his moves.
From viral video to «aura battles»
Celebrities — primarily athletes — also began replicating the boy’s viral moves. Although the video went viral in 2025, the trend didn’t stop there. «Aura farming» moved beyond social media as teenagers began staging actual «aura battles» on the streets, where participants compete through dance, signature moves and their ability to impress an audience.
@alex_albon Always at 1000% accuracy #indonesianboatracing ♬ Young Black & Rich – Melly Mike
Typically, teenagers mimic moves from viral videos and memes, all set to dramatic music popular on TikTok. The more impressive the performance, the more «aura» the participant can earn.
@azatnekerek Астана аура баттл inst:tukbaevazat #Астана #aura #нефор #battaladeaura #aurabattle ♬ оригинальный звук – Azat
How the «aura» scoring system works
The «aura» scoring system originated in 2024, when a hypothetical point-counting system began gaining traction on TikTok. Social media users started making videos about how much «coolness» a person could gain or lose through everyday actions.
@maxpreps Who has the most Aura at your school? 😎👀 (Via @𝙺𝒆𝓇𝓮𝘮 ) #aura #studentlife #highschool #aurapoints #funny ♬ original sound – maxpreps
For instance, making a dramatic entrance into a room earns a few points, while loudly dropping something in class results in a deduction.