What you need to know about ASMR, the popular YouTube trend Cardi B is a fan of and Samsung is making gadgets for

Samsung is developing a smartphone case to help people record high-quality ASMR content 
Rapper Cardi B is a big fan of ASMR videos
Getty Images For dcp
Amelia Heathman3 January 2020

Trends develop here, there and everywhere on the internet, whether it’s the current BirdBox challenge inspired by Netflix’s new film or cake frosting videos on Instagram.

One of the most recent trends that’s developed over the past few years is ASMR videos. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and it’s become such a trend on the internet that Samsung recently revealed one of its in-house start-ups is creating an ASMR sound recording solutions named ‘aiMo’.

Here’s what you need to know about ASMR and why it’s so big.

What is ASMR?

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is essentially a reaction people have to specific triggers.

ASMR videos online usually involve people whispering, tapping, or making slow movements and some people experience ‘brain tingles’ when watching and hearing these types of sounds. These tingles often led to feelings of calm and relaxation.

ASMR is often described as the opposite of misophonia, the hatred of sound, which is usually a negative emotional reaction to a particular sound such as breathing or eating.

The rapper Cardi B is a big fan of ASMR videos and says she listens to them before going to sleep. She even created an ASMR video for W Magazine.

ASMR on YouTube

The trend really took off on YouTube as far back as 2013 but it is growing in popularity, with over 13 million ASMR videos on the platform.

The most popular ASMR YouTubers in the UK include ASMRMagic, with 865,000 subscribers, WhispersRed ASMR, at 662,000, and FredsVoice ASMR, at 320,000 subscribers.

ASMRMagic’s videos feature things such as scalp massaging, ear and microphone brushing, and deep crinkles. The YouTuber, who joined the platform in December 2015, has a three-hour-long video of various different ASMR triggers, which has had over 24 million views.

ASMR slime videos are also a niche category on their own, with YouTube data showing that more and more people are watching these videos as a way to relax.

People love to watch ASMR slime videos on YouTube 

The trend isn’t going anywhere: in the first week of January 2019, there was a 122 per cent increase in search interest for ASMR videos, compared to the first week of January 2018 in the UK alone on YouTube.

A YouTube spokesperson told the Standard: “ASMR has been an incredibly interesting trend that has risen on YouTube and continues to see very high engagement. We see this content garnering more interest across both Google Search and YouTube and look forward to seeing how this trend continues to evolve.”

Why do people like watching ASMR so much?

Given this is still a relatively new trend, there isn’t that much research into the effects ASMR has and why people love it so much. Last year, the University of Sheffield and Manchester Metropolitan University published one of the first studies into ASMR and the findings suggested the videos may have benefits for both physical and mental health.

According to the study, people who experience brain tingles from ASMR sounds have significantly reduced heart rates whilst watching ASMR videos compared to those who do not. They also showed significant increases in positive emotions, such as relaxation and feelings of social connection. In fact, ASMR videos could be just as effective for relaxation as listening to music or mindfulness.

Speaking about the research, Dr Giulia Poerio, of the University of Sheffield’s department of psychology, said: “Our studies show that ASMR videos do indeed have the relaxing effect anecdotally reported by experiencers – but only in people who experience the feeling. This was reflected in ASMR participants’ self-reported feelings and objective reductions in their heart rates compared to non-ASMR participants.

“What’s interesting is that the average reductions in heart rate experienced by our ASMR participants was comparable to other research findings on the physiological effects of stress-reduction techniques such as music and mindfulness,” she added.

Where is ASMR going to go next?

If the YouTube stats are anything to go by, the popularity of ASMR is only going to increase. At CES, Samsung debuted the aiMO device, a smartphone cover case equipped with faux human ears, which means it will be easier than ever to record ASMR content, even when you're outside.

One of Samsung's start-ups is creating a device to record ASMR videos
Samsung

Samsung says the case itself will help ASMR content creators produce “spatially more enhanced sounds in terms of sound directivity”. As well, the C-Lab project is also developing AI sound rendering software to improve the sound quality of recordings.

Whether you experience the brain tingles of ASMR or not, expect to see more of these videos popping up on your social media feed in the future.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in