By Shanty Tejeda, age 11
Autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, has surged in popularity over the years, with some videos amassing over 37 million views, according to Upworthy. ASMR videos tend to be nonvocal, focusing on sound effects, like scraping fingernails on bottled water. This type of video was popularized in 2010 when YouTuber Jennifer Allen coined the term.
ASMR can reduce anxiety for people who get tingles from it, creating a sense of calm for them. People with higher scores in neuroticism more often experience tingles, which can come from triggers like sound, according to Northumbria University. For others, the ASMR videos don’t have as much of an effect on their anxiety levels.
“The people who respond to ASMR sounds share that they reduce their anxiety and create a sense of calm in them. In an increasingly anxious world, the more ways we can find to soothe people’s minds, the better,” reports Upworthy.
According to Healthline, ASMR has been correlated with pain relief, improved mood, deepened concentration, pleasure, reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure, and healthy sleep. It has also been shown to lower heart rates by 3.41 BPM and soothe neurodivergent people after meltdowns.
ASMR isn’t for everyone. Some people find it overstimulating and distressing—a reaction often due to fear of specific sounds. Whether you feel ASMR works for you varies by individual; everyone’s experience with ASMR will differ.
