Aura farming
Aura farming is a meme about looking effortlessly cool, and it has moved offline, where young people stage public "aura battles" with exaggerated, meme-style moves in front of crowds.
Should I worry?
There is no real danger here, so there is little to protect against. The usual advice applies: if your teen films or attends a public meetup, ask who is organising it and whether people are being filmed and posted without agreeing. Watch for signs that one kid is being mocked rather than cheered on, such as a clip used to humiliate someone. If that happens, help your teen report the clip and talk to the school if classmates are involved.
How to join in
"Aura" is slang for your personal cool factor. Kids joke about gaining or losing "aura points" for anything from a smooth moment to an embarrassing one. "Farming" it means acting with calm, over-the-top confidence, usually with a deadpan face and dramatic music. The meme has now spread offline, with young people staging playful "aura battles" where they perform exaggerated moves for a crowd, as CNN reported. Kids like it because it is silly, creative and a bit self-mocking. A good way in is to ask your teen what earns or costs aura points, or to ask them to show you their favourite clip.
Try saying
“I keep hearing about aura points and aura battles. Can you explain how it works? Who in your group has the most aura, and what does it take to lose some?”
Sources
From Mistlift, mistlift.app. Plain talk about what kids are into online.