Independent task: Guilty Media Pleasure
ASMR
"Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. It has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia" - Wikipedia
ASMR was popularised when a 21-year-old registered user of a discussion forum for health-related subjects at a website called 'Steady Health' submitted a post describing having experienced a specific sensation since their childhood, similar to the feeling that is stimulated by tracing fingers along the skin, also often triggered by random and unrelated 'non-haptic' events, things such as watching a puppet show or being read a story. People then began to reply to the accounts post saying they experience the exact same thing. They researched but they could not find any scientific data or explanation.
The ASMR community is mainly based on the website YouTube, that's where its main following is. The ASMR community is growing bigger and bigger every day, whether its new people trying out ASMR or people discovering it, the trend is becoming more popular every day. a YouTube user who goes by the name Heather Feather (youtube.com/heatherfeatherasmr), an "ASMRtist" with over half a million subscribers on YouTube, says: "Basically, it feels like the amazing chills you get when someone plays with your hair or traces your back with their fingertips,". ASMR creators such as HeatherFeatherASMR, ASMR Darling (youtube.com/asmrdarling) and Life With MaK (youtube.com/lifewithmak) are posting videos that create that tingly effect and relaxation people get from the 'triggers' that cause these feelings.
As I stated before, since it starts in 2010 ASMR has grown like a wildfire. The trend has become so popular that magazines such as W Magazine, a popular American fashion magazine, have been conducting ASMR interviews and are posting them on their YouTube channel, gaining around a million views on each video. Celebrities such as Gal Gadot, Jennifer Garner and Jake Gyllenhaal are participating in these ASMR interviews and exploring it for themselves.
Now, onto the critical side of things; ASMR is a very weird subject, there are people that absolutely love it but then there are the people that despise it. And we've gone over the reasons why people love it (It's relaxing, gives you tingles, etc,). But why do people hate it?
After some research, I have conducted a list on why some people may not like ASMR.
1. Misinterpreted/misunderstood:
ASMR may be a new thing to some people, and sometimes people dive into new experiences without taking the time to research what it is and that's why I think some people hate ASMR because they don't understand. At first glance, ASMR may seem like its just crazy people whispering into a camera and tapping on random objects, but that's not it. ASMR is so much more. And if you dive into this new world without taking 5 minutes out of your day to understand why the person is doing what they are doing, you won't understand it.
2. Take it as sexual:
For some reason, there are people out there who take ASMR as a sexual thing, which it is now. One reason why I think they do this is that when you experience tingles, people often refer to it as a brain orgasm (or "braingasm"). Which, I know, sounds totally wrong, but that's just a way of explaining how ASMR feels.
3. People find it creepy:
Of course, whispering into a camera and making sounds and tapping on objects like a vase sounds odd, it actually helps many people who suffer from insomnia, depression, anger issues, and many other issues such as that. But some people don't realise that and find it creepy. Which I get because if I didn't know the reasoning behind ASMR and the background to it, I would think exactly the same thing.
I found ASMR around 2015. I saw a video in my recommended titled "10 Triggers To Make You Tingle" by HeatherFeatherASMR and was intrigued. Bearing in mind, I had no clue what ASMR was and what tingles were. After I watched the video I watched a few more of her videos and instantly fell in love with ASMR. It was relaxing, calmed me down and although I was one of the minorities that couldn't experience tingles, it still played an effect on me and was very satisfying. Since then I have watched ASMR videos to help me fall asleep, relax me or calm me down in a stressful situation.
Gal Gadot W Magazine ASMR Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOfsCvdfyzk&t=5s
Jennifer Garner W Magazine ASMR Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eutjs5iYBHI
Jake Gyllenhaal W Magazine ASMR Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-QsBvShKhE
Heather Feather | 10 Triggers To Make You Tingle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9DM5TiB4o&t=7s
Now, onto the critical side of things; ASMR is a very weird subject, there are people that absolutely love it but then there are the people that despise it. And we've gone over the reasons why people love it (It's relaxing, gives you tingles, etc,). But why do people hate it?
After some research, I have conducted a list on why some people may not like ASMR.
1. Misinterpreted/misunderstood:
ASMR may be a new thing to some people, and sometimes people dive into new experiences without taking the time to research what it is and that's why I think some people hate ASMR because they don't understand. At first glance, ASMR may seem like its just crazy people whispering into a camera and tapping on random objects, but that's not it. ASMR is so much more. And if you dive into this new world without taking 5 minutes out of your day to understand why the person is doing what they are doing, you won't understand it.
2. Take it as sexual:
For some reason, there are people out there who take ASMR as a sexual thing, which it is now. One reason why I think they do this is that when you experience tingles, people often refer to it as a brain orgasm (or "braingasm"). Which, I know, sounds totally wrong, but that's just a way of explaining how ASMR feels.
3. People find it creepy:
Of course, whispering into a camera and making sounds and tapping on objects like a vase sounds odd, it actually helps many people who suffer from insomnia, depression, anger issues, and many other issues such as that. But some people don't realise that and find it creepy. Which I get because if I didn't know the reasoning behind ASMR and the background to it, I would think exactly the same thing.
I found ASMR around 2015. I saw a video in my recommended titled "10 Triggers To Make You Tingle" by HeatherFeatherASMR and was intrigued. Bearing in mind, I had no clue what ASMR was and what tingles were. After I watched the video I watched a few more of her videos and instantly fell in love with ASMR. It was relaxing, calmed me down and although I was one of the minorities that couldn't experience tingles, it still played an effect on me and was very satisfying. Since then I have watched ASMR videos to help me fall asleep, relax me or calm me down in a stressful situation.
Gal Gadot W Magazine ASMR Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOfsCvdfyzk&t=5s
Jennifer Garner W Magazine ASMR Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eutjs5iYBHI
Jake Gyllenhaal W Magazine ASMR Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-QsBvShKhE
Heather Feather | 10 Triggers To Make You Tingle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9DM5TiB4o&t=7s
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