So, what exactly is ASMR? Well, that really depends on your tastes. There are six main types of triggers that induce the sensation: sounds (by far the most popular, usually involving soft voices, tapping or scratching); visuals (often gentle swooshing movements, such as paint being mixed); eating (watching and listening to people chew); crushing (the sight of objects like kinetic sand, sponges or slime being compressed) and role-playing (more on which later). The final trigger – which the internet cannot reproduce, for now at least – is old-fashioned touch, such as someone “drawing” on your back.
ASMR is the third most popular YouTube search term worldwide. It also remains one of the most reliable measures of the generational divide in the internet age. Ask most people over 40 what it is and they’ll blink uncomprehendingly; ask anyone under 30 and they’ll consider it a little passé.
www.theguardian.com
ASMR is the third most popular YouTube search term worldwide. It also remains one of the most reliable measures of the generational divide in the internet age. Ask most people over 40 what it is and they’ll blink uncomprehendingly; ask anyone under 30 and they’ll consider it a little passé.
Good vibrations: tapping in to ASMR
ASMR, the euphoric tingling certain sounds provoke, has created online superstars with millions of followers. Is it just a weird fad, or could it help people with anxiety and depression?