Aura Farming
Trying to appear cool through curated actions
Example
Did you see Maya’s post this morning? Barefoot on a mountain with some quote about healing energy?
Oh yeah, total aura farming. She probably hiked five minutes from the parking lot and queued that caption last week
Right? She's got that “effortless glow” down to a science. Not mad, just impressed
Are you financially literate?
Aura farming is slang for when someone constantly seeks attention, admiration, or validation, often through carefully curated behavior or appearances, especially on social media. The phrase plays on the idea of "aura" as one's perceived vibe or energy (aka coolness), with "farming" suggesting the person is actively working to cultivate that image to attract compliments, likes, or social approval.
The term gained traction online in the early 2020s, especially on platforms like TikTok, Twitter (now X), and Instagram, where users might call out someone for "aura farming" if they are posting thirst traps, humblebrags, or aesthetic lifestyle content just to soak up praise. Alphas, Gen Zers, and younger millennials are the ones likely to call out others. At the same time, many of them are aura farming themselves.