10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
What Is ‘Aura Farming'? This Tween Will Show You.
In the last few weeks, Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old boy who lives in Indonesia and, according to his local government, goes by Dika, has been hard to miss on social media, even if you've never heard his name. A video of him dancing on the front of a boat has become an internet sensation and is the reason 'aura farming' has become a popular phrase.
The video has been overlaid with various songs, imitated by countless creators, commented on by celebrities and, most recently, led to Dika being named a tourism ambassador for Riau, the province in Indonesia where he lives.
While many of the videos featuring Dika have amassed millions of views around the world, his popularity in the United States — and the explosion in use of the phrase 'aura farming' — has come despite relatively little information being available about him or the race he competes in.
What is aura farming?
According to the website Know Your Meme, the expression was popularized in 2024 largely in reference to anime characters and various celebrities. It generally refers to someone who does something repetitive to look cool and build, as Gen Alpha would say, aura.
Dika, who seems preternaturally calm on the bow of a thin boat, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, uses a series of repetitive movements in his dance, making him a perfect fit for the term.
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