How "ASMRtists" Are Helping People Cope With The Pandemic
Graphic by Abby Miller
Social isolation due to COVID-19 continues to cause heightened levels of anxiety, depression and stress among Americans. As tension continues to rise, people are turning to ASMR to hear someone “whisper” their worries away.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, listeners of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) have increased significantly. The world of ASMR consists of artists who speak in soft whispers and trigger sounds to create a tingling sensation in their listeners that begins at the scalp and moves down the back of the neck. What began as a psychological approach to helping people relax has quickly turned into a social media spectacle.
A quick search for ASMR on Youtube will pull up an endless list of videos, most with millions of views. The popular trend has also expanded onto different platforms including Instagram and TikTok.
In recent years, ASMR has made its way into pop culture as an entertainment of sorts. Influencers and celebrities have dappled in the ASMR world, using it as a way to advertise or create unique content. A commercial that appeared during the 2019 SuperBowl featured famous actress Zoe Kravitz advertising a bottle of Michelob Ultra while speaking softly into a microphone. Cardi B’s W Magazine ASMR video, where the singer is seen recreating some of her iconic tongue rolls and one-liners, has garnered over 43 million views.
Kelsey Logan, a King’s sophomore and chamberlain of the House of TenBoom, has had her own unique experience with ASMR. The phenomenon first peaked her interest when she inadvertently ran across a “soap cutting” video on Snapchat.
“For some reason I could not stop watching,” Logan said.
It wasn’t but just a few years after her initial discovery that she placed second in her high school’s talent show for doing her own ASMR performance.
“They were looking for more people who would participate, so I decided to sign up a few hours before it started,” Logan said, regarding her live performance which consisted of whispering and eating Cheetos. “The piece was simultaneously comedic and chilling… that’s too much power for one person.”
Some may laugh at the oddity that is ASMR, but for many people, it’s a form of meditation and relaxation. ASMR has even expanded into new avenues to fit people’s preferences such as eating, role playing, and creating “trigger” noises. Sounds made by hair brushing, chewing, nail tapping and various other “triggers” set off a sensation in people’s brains that they find particularly soothing. For those who find themselves swimming in their own thoughts while cooped up at home, ASMR can halt unhealthy thinking and help people experience reality in a new way.
As ASMR has become more popular, people have found ways to incorporate it into their careers and brands. One of Logan’s favorite ASMR artists, Dr. Cody Hanish, is a chiropractor who has gained quite a following posting ASMR clips on TikTok. His videos feature clients receiving a chiropractic adjustment; many viewers find the “cracking” to be a satisfying trigger sound.
As for the future of ASMR, Logan believes the trend may not grow much further, but there will always be a need for it.
“Social media platforms have increased the availability of ASMR,” Logan said. “The trend may not necessarily grow more, but it has begun to morph into sub-trends. More and more, ASMR is being replaced with ‘satisfying’ videos of virtually anything (cement pouring, coffee making, hydraulic presses, etc.)”
These videos may not exactly be like the traditional ASMR that gives people “tingles” throughout their body, but they do provide a different type of mindless sensory intake.
“ASMRtists” have perfected their craft by using everyday items and a microphone as instruments to sweep people away into an alternate reality. Whether it’s the enthralling sound of crinkling paper or the rhythmic snapping of scissors cutting hair, there’s a bit of ASMR out there for everyone.