If you’ve gotten caught up watching a video on YouTube that made you feel calm, it’s likely it was an ASMR video. The letters stand for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and it describes the experience of tingling sensations in the crown of the head in response to a range of audio-visual triggers such as whispering, tapping, and hand movements. Many ASMR videos are labeled simply as “satisfying.” The videos are said to be beneficial for relaxation and relief from depression, insomnia and chronic pain. One of the most popular ASMR videos on YouTube is Mukbang, which is a video of a person eating various foods with a focus on the eating sounds. Whether it’s a woman applying makeup, a man crumpling a piece of paper, or workers doing their jobs in rhythmic ways, ASMR videos are providing a new way of relaxation to the masses.
