What is "aura farming"? TikTok's strange viral battles hit the streets

'Aura farming' battles turn TikTok memes, poses and viral gestures into a contest where young people test their charisma, style and self-confidence. Two teenagers stand face to face, surrounded by a crowd. They stare each other down and get ready to compete. But there are no punches here, no improvised rhymes and no typical dance-off. To win, you have to show who has more "aura". The so-called "aura farming" battles, or "farmear aura", have taken to the streets a set of expressions born on social media. Teenagers and young adults, mostly between 14 and 20, compete using gestures, poses and recreations of some of the internet’s most recognisable memes and viral videos. The phenomenon has already given rise to meet-ups in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia, and has now reached Spain as well. And while for anyone unfamiliar with TikTok’s codes some of the performances can be hard to decipher, for the participants spotting the references is part of the game. But what exactly does "farmear aura" mean, and why are teenagers competing to get it? What does "farmear aura" mean? The concept comes from combining two very different ideas. On social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, "aura" is used to describe the style, attitude or charisma a person projects. Saying someone has "100% aura", for instance, is a way of praising their ability to look attractive, confident or cool almost without trying. "Farmear", on the other hand, comes from the world of video games. The English term "farming" refers to repeating certain actions to gain points or accumulate resources. "Farmear aura" therefore means doing or showing something that symbolically earns you points for charisma, style or popularity. What began as an online expression has ended up turning into a real-world competition. How do you win an aura battle? At one of these contests held recently in front of the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, participants drew on a whole catalogue of viral references in an effort to outdo their opponents. Carlos Irving Quintana, a 14-year-old with purple hair, won applause from the crowd by recreating the famous "Siuuu" leap Cristiano Ronaldo uses to celebrate his goals. He then switched to "mewing", a trend popularised on TikTok that involves tensing the jaw and pointing at it with a finger to show off one’s profile. His rival replied with the "6-7", a meme widespread among young people that does not have a specific meaning but has become a recognisable gesture on social media. Spectators crowd around the competitors and film their performances on their phones while music plays that sounds like a video game soundtrack. The key is demonstrating that you have mastered the codes of the internet. The more memes and viral videos a contestant manages to weave into their routine, the better their chances of impressing the judges and the crowd. But knowing the memes is not enough. Attitude is crucial. "Whoever looks better, shows off more, gets more laughs and has more confidence wins", explains 22-year-old Aldhir Gonzalez, organiser of the Mexico City competition, speaking to AFP. From Cristiano Ronaldo to a giant shoe Almost anything can become a prop for "aura farming". The winner of the Mexican contest was Kaled Rosales Salazar, who turned up wearing Rayo McQueen trousers – the lead character in the film "Cars" – and clogs. In one of his duels, Rosales used an enormous white sandal as an accessory and mimed lassoing his rival and leading him away like a horse. The staging worked. The teenager walked away with the 3,000-peso prize, around 177 dollars. In other competitions, however, the reward can be far more abstract. In Argentina, the prize is bragging rights: being able to claim you have "infinite aura". The trend has grown to the point of reaching professional football. Argentine club Boca Juniors has jumped on the craze, posting on X an image of midfielder Santiago Ascacibar celebrating a goal and joking that his aura was unbeatable. A trend that baffles adults Not everyone gets the phenomenon. "Aura is a lifestyle" that "almost nobody understands", says the organiser of an upcoming battle in Buenos Aires. And that lack of understanding is particularly visible between generations. While for many teenagers the poses and gestures are packed with instantly recognisable references, some adults see these competitions as a sign that popular culture is being dumbed down. The backlash has even reached politics. A mayor in Honduras has banned the battles and said that if it were up to him there would be compulsory military service. Other experts, however, see positive aspects to the trend. Venezuelan psychologist Maria Eugenia Tovar argues that this kind of contest can encourage face-to-face encounters between teenagers, something particularly significant for a generation used to interacting mainly through social media. And that may be one of the keys to its success. A phenomenon born on TikTok and Instagram is managing to get young people to put down their individual screens for a few hours and meet up in person – even if everything ends up being filmed on a phone and posted online afterwards. For Rosales, the winner of the Mexico City competition, the explanation is much simpler. He plans to take part in more battles, but not necessarily for the money. "More than for a prize, I do it to have fun and get out of the house", he tells AFP.