What are aura points? Social Media Trend Explained

IF you’re not on TikTok, you might not be completely up to speed on Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang.

“Cool” is outside and “aura points” are inside (just like saying something is “in” or “out” is, ironically, outside). But what are aura points?

2

2

What are aura points?

“Aura” is the latest Gen Z slang to emerge on TikTok.

The easiest way to think about it is: if you do something nice or nice, like making your crush laugh, you earn aura points.

For example, a TikTok joke might make your crush laugh and that means they earned aura points.

But the term is a little more nuanced than that.

It’s less about being cool and more about being “aura”.

“Aura” is one of those weird online terms that takes its meaning from the context around it rather than having any real meaning.

It’s more about the feeling or perception of being cool than the coolness itself.

Getting over a breakup quickly is good for you and your “vibe,” so you’ll earn aura points.

It’s a lot to take in if you’re not keeping up to date with the latest TikTok news.

Can you lose aura points?

Unfortunately, there is no mood ring or magic meter that can tell you how many aura points you have.

After all, they are not real and should not be taken too seriously.

But yes, you can “lose” aura points.

If you do something that is bad for you or embarrassing (like hooking up with someone who cheats), you will lose aura points.

Where did the term originate?

The term came from, of all places, online football groups.

Players were evaluated on their aura, which was decided by the way they played on the field.

Indirectly, Virgil Van Dijik, captain and central defender of Liverpool FC, is responsible for the mandate.

He was mentioned in a 2020 New York Times article that said his on-field mistakes are often overlooked by fans because he has “aura.”

The popularity of the article introduced the term to a new audience and it was soon launched on TikTok.