To think "aura farming" is the epitome of WTF? Which seems to be the singular defining flavour of modern life?

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/jun/06/explain-it-to-me-quickly-what-is-aura-farming-and-is-it-cool-or-cringe

Honestly, stop the world, I want to get off.

Every day I have a brief poke around on the Internet, just to check how close we are to WW3 in any given moment, and which new existential threat I need to roll my eyes and shrug at, and I see all sorts of weird, wonderful shite that magnifies my concerns for humanity in general, before I go back to focusing on my pitiful "real" life.

And today's gem? Aura farming. I've read the article twice, and I'm still none the wiser.

I know I'm old (56) jaded, and cynical, but every day feels as though I've shifted into an alternate reality overnight.

Someone will no doubt advise me to step away from the news and social media, but I don't like surprises, and ignorance gives me more heartburn than bliss.

Can anybody else relate?

Just a bit of fun. Let young people have their things.

Yes, it’s definitely a load of bollocks. But cast your mind back 40 years and picture your parents rolling their eyes at you. Mine used to do it quite a lot during Top of the Pops if I remember correctly. It’s just the modern day equivalent of that.

It's just a new way of saying "trying to be cool", bordering on "being a try-hard" if it doesn't come off.

My parents in the 80s making fun of me saying everything was cool, I couldn't understand how hard it was to understand.

That article was brilliant. Funny

Yes, I read that this morning. Nothing new in the concept of trying to be cool: it's the desire to give things labels that defines the age. We were just trying to be cool, but our kids are aura-farming.

I'm not saying that with a straight face, btw.

Just 'wow'. What a load of hooey......

It isn't even that.

"Aura Farming" means dedicating a lot of time/effort to try and look cool (or cultivating some other persona perceived to be favorable).

It's usually used derisively, so is basically just a synonym for "try hard".

I think the OP is just struggling with the etymology, which comes from video gaming. Some games require (or reward) repetitive actions, and "farming" is slang for dedicating your time/efforts to complete those repetitive tasks for in-game rewards.

Yes this, although it seems to skew more towards meaning "being a try hard" (so is usually said mockingly, although perhaps about one's self in a tongue-in-cheek manner).

😂 Well, I'm thinking of The Fonz slapping any machine to get the goods out or leaning on his car lighting a cigarette. Madonna striking a pose. Bryan Ferry glowering in a suit, greased fringe flopping just so. Lauren Bacall's penetrating gaze past her fall of perfect blonde waves, Katharine Hepburn's defiant armchair sprawl in a masculine suit. Absolutely every move Bowie, Prince and Grace Jones ever made. New name for an age-old occupation!

I'm just off to see whether this knackered old woman can still come up with anything sharply impressive ... I may be some time! I'm unlikely to call it aura farming, though 😏

Yeah, yeah, but there's always been extra points (cachet for the posh ones, aura for the young) in being ironically cool. There are many layers to this thing - not to mention many names for it!

I think the OP is just struggling with the etymology, which comes from video gaming.

Be that as it may, it's not wildly different to 'cultivating my image' or 'tending his reputation'. So many farmers posing around! Who knew?

It just means being a try-hard.Think of the slang of your youth that your parents and teachers rolled their eyes at. These threads always baffle me a bit, it’s like nobody understands the very basic fact that language evolves eternally and people claim it and shape it in new ways.

That Chalamet.. Sitting courtside at Knicks games with his sunglasses on, like a little eejit!