Aura is a way to track exactly how cool you feel as you walk around.
The language of TikTok is constantly changing and evolving, and the changes are constantly confusing to TikTok users who are just trying to keep up. Recently, TikTok users have started tracking something called “aura,” and some have even suggested that the metric may have some sort of point total associated with it.
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If you’re confused by the constant mention of people’s auras, you’re not alone. Here’s everything you need to know about what auras mean on TikTok and why they’re suddenly appearing everywhere.
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What does aura mean on TikTok?
A person’s aura generally represents something close to “cool points.” Essentially, a high aura counter means that the person is feeling confident, and a low aura point count means that something pretty uncool has happened. The trends suggest that there are a wide variety of activities that can increase or decrease aura points, and they’re probably just the kinds of things you’d expect.
If someone holds the door open for you, you gain aura points. Meanwhile, if you think there’s an extra step on the stairs but there isn’t, or try to shake someone’s hand when they’re about to fist-bump you, you lose points. These are the kinds of social situations that many of us are already familiar with. What’s different now is that TikTok has created a points system that quantifies exactly how cool or uncool something is.
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Like most things on TikTok, it’s not about the points themselves; it’s about coming up with things that can earn or lose points. There’s no system with a 10,000 point cap, for example. Everything is relative, and this trend is more about identifying different cool and awkward things that happen to people in their everyday interactions.
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Don’t take your aura too seriously.
Typically, users track their aura points throughout the day, but again, the actual number shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Rather, it’s just a fun way to keep track of how cool or stupid you looked throughout the day. If you’re clumsy, that’ll probably result in a negative outcome, but that’s not the only way you’ll lose points.
Essentially, auras are exactly what you’d imagine them to be: not as mystical as the definition of the word suggests, but still involving something that you can’t see directly but that you carry around with you all day.
If you want to get involved, all you have to do is pay more attention to how many bossy or stupid things you do throughout the day and record a video of it. If you feel like it’s not working for you, maybe you can find another TikTok trend to join in.