Young adults increasingly struggling offline turn to ASMR videos, report finds

www.theguardian.com Young adults increasingly struggling offline turn to ASMR videos, report finds

Visceral videos of people playing with slime or braiding hair soothe those who feel overwhelmed by in-person contact

Summary

Young adults increasingly seek refuge in autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos when feeling overwhelmed by in-person interaction, according to a new report from Revealing Reality.

The study found younger generations (18-44) are significantly more likely to feel overstimulated by social situations and noisy environments compared to older adults.

While ASMR content—videos triggering calming "tingles" through whispers, tapping sounds, and gentle movements—provides immediate comfort, experts worry this "digital soma" may prevent developing real-world resilience skills.

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31 comments

I've never understood ASMR.
It is almost always sounds that make me physically cringe, wretch in repulsion and anxiety, not 'tingle'.
Whispers? Crinkling? Tapping?
Fucking lip smacking and chewing sounds?
That shit is like nails on a chalk board to me, like a dying smoke detector, like a high speed, off balance fan, a yippy yappy dog that won't shut up.
I am fairly sure I am the target demo. I have autism and am way more annoyed than most people by sounds most people seem to subconsciously block out automatically, and I get drained more by social situations more than most.
Maybe there is an actual, proper way to elicit an ASMR via actually doing a proper method, but the space is flooded with just completely random amateurs.
...
Binaural beats? When actually done properly? As part of like a mindfulness/meditation track?
Works a thousand times better.
- The modern, modern ASMR shit you see tends to be garbage that someone claims is ASMR. When it became a mainstream trend to isolate a single sound, record it, and post it on Instagram or Tik-tok the meaning of ASMR really eroded.
  Like, 15 or so years ago when the ASMR community on the internet was just starting, there were dozens of people dedicated to making videos and audio that actually trigger the physical ASMR response that some people feel. I’ve heard not everyone can feel the “tingles” that the acronym is actually describing, but I can feel them based in certain triggers AND when my body is in a certain emotional state. I’m not sure if people who have never felt them can’t feel them or just never found the right triggers; I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. I first felt it when I was a kid listening to my school’s librarian read a book; she wasn’t whispering or anything, but the intentionality in her voice while reading (and the lack of other intrusive noises) always made the back of my neck tingle. I had no idea what that was until one day I found this collection of “binaural” audio tracks uploaded to Youtube which ultimately led me to the ASMR community.
  ASMR is way more than somebody making a video of themselves just smacking their lips while eating yogurt. It’s a description of a physical feeling. I haven’t really dug into the community lately so I can’t say how hard it is to find quality videos anymore, but I think if you try to look through the list of known common triggers and then look for dedicated creators trying to do a good job with those triggers, you might find something you like.
  If you don’t, maybe I’m wrong and it’s true that only some people can feel it.
  
  Do you maybe have some recommandations, even older ones, that you find to be actually good? I like ASMR but have never really dug into it, watched on and off
  
  Oh yeah, for sure! Soft-speaking has always been a strong trigger for me so most of these recommendations will fall in line with that with some extra stuff mixed in.
  One big name I remember loving because of the effort they put into their videos was ASMR Requests. I'd argue it's a bad name for the kind of videos they put out, especially ones with so much effort put into not just the effects, but the writing and the lore. For example, Departure Episode 1 and Episode 2 (sadly the third never came out) DotCalm (this was likely my favorite ASMR video ever)
  Another favorite channel of mine was GentleWhispering ASMR. I think their voice was what I enjoyed so much about most of these videos. Personal favorite was this Toffee Cooking Video that was probably as low-effort as ASMR videos come but I thought this was great anyway.
  One of the first videos that introduced me to ASMR was this binaural virtual barbershop. The audio quality is horrendous but it still triggered the feeling for me.
  Another channel that helped me out a ton in the midst of working from home and feeling very anxious in 2020 was Latte ASMR. They also put a lot of effort into their content but were much more grounded situations. This is likely my favorite video from them: Relaxing Piercing Cafe
  There's also a whole realm of unintentional ASMR videos where people are just doing things and other people love to watch them because it triggers their ASMR. For me, the trigger is strongest when the people are doing things confidently and assertively but gently, if that makes any sense. Here are some examples: Cranial Nerve Test with Pat LaFontaine & Dr. James Kelly Perfect Sandwich Made by Irish Gentleman Suit Fitting
  If you need more suggestions, I can give them but these are the first that came to mind.
- It's...a lot of things.
  For starters, not everyone even has ASMR response. I do, some people don't. It's the kind of pleasant tingling going through the spine.
  Aside from that, there's also the psychological aspect. I get calmed by the soft voices, especially when they're feminine, and ASMR videos are also commonly about personal attention, so it might help one feel cared about.
  Essentially, in a modern form, it's not just about calling the ASMR response itself (although, by definition, a good ASMR video should do that, and there are ASMR creators that do it well), it's about the safe space and personal attention. It's what many turn for when they need someone to care and soothe and help with regaining the balance.
  But binaural beats are cool as well.
- Do you have depression or autism or something?
  
  I literally said I have autism in the post you are replying to.
  I am fairly sure I am the target demo. I have autism and am way more annoyed than most people by sounds ...
  Do you actually read things before you comment on them?
  
  We can tell you have autism.

31 comments