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?
