If you’re a millennial, you’ve probably already had the moment where you realize the internet has started speaking a dialect you never agreed to learn. One week you’re fine, the next you’re staring at a comment section wondering whether people are joking or you’re simply aging in public. The latest phrase doing the rounds is “aura farming,” and it’s the kind of expression that sounds mystical until you realize it’s basically about vibes and performance. The term has been popping up across social media, and even Unilad has weighed in on what it means.
In this context, “farming” doesn’t mean crops, it means collecting. Think of video games, where someone repeats the same action to gather points, resources, or rewards. “Aura farming” takes that logic and applies it to social life, where the goal isn’t coins or XP, it’s impact. You’re trying to rack up the impression that you’re confident, cool, untouchable, or just slightly legendary.
So what does it look like in the wild? It’s the friend who enters a room like they’ve got a theme song playing, or the person who delivers a perfectly ordinary sentence as if it’s a movie trailer line. It can be a dramatic pause, a too-smooth hair flip, or a calm, unbothered stare held one second longer than necessary. The point is to seem like the main character, even when the situation is totally normal.
A big part of the phrase’s popularity comes from how people use it jokingly online. Someone does something slightly extra and the comments roll in with variations of “she’s aura farming” or “he’s farming aura points.” On Reddit, people have been swapping explanations, with some describing it as a newer, more specific way of saying someone looks impressively cool. Others point out it’s often used for anime characters who strike an iconic pose or pull off a power-up moment that practically radiates swagger, like Ichigo putting on his Hollow mask.
@mr_lindsay_sped Have your kids told you you’re #aurafarming yet? #aura #teachersoftiktok #genalpha #genalphaslang #genz #genzslang ♬ original sound – Mr. Lindsay
It also works as a playful callout when someone shows off for no real reason. The classic example is doing something flashy and unnecessary, like forcing a 360 spin at the skate park just to make sure everyone notices. It’s not that the move is bad, it’s that the motivation is obvious. There’s something oddly comforting about a term that admits we’re all performing sometimes, even if we pretend we’re not.
Of course, slang has a short shelf life, and part of the fun is watching generations hand it off and immediately declare it cringe. One day you’re learning a phrase, the next you’re ruining it by using it sincerely. Still, “aura farming” is a pretty sharp little label for a very modern habit, turning everyday moments into mini auditions for attention. What do you think, is it harmless fun or just another way social media keeps everyone “on” all the time?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
