YouTube: What are ASMR videos - and why are they so popular?

In YouTube's myriad themed categories, many trends are forming accordingly. These include ASMR videos, some of which count many millions of views. We explain the term and the purpose behind it.

Rest, relaxation, well-being: That's what ASMR videos on YouTube promise.

More and more people suffer from stress, restlessness or even sleep disorders. The popularity of ASMR videos on YouTube is a direct response to this.

ASMR videos on YouTube: That's why they're so popular

ASMR stands for "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response." This refers to a special physical reaction:

• This is described as tingling, sometimes even slightly tickling, but always in a pleasant way.
• AsMR syndrome is triggered, among other things, by acoustic input, for example, sounds such as voices or sounds in a very specific frequency range.
• Another effect of ASMR can therefore be a strong sedation, depending on the expression sometimes with trance-like approaches.
• YouTube videos of this kind therefore often aim to enable a quick fall asleep. Apart from this, the other effects are also consistently pleasant; not without reason, there is talk of synesthesia.

Although the effect of ASMR exists undisputed, the exact scientific background is not yet really researched. Any theses or explanations should therefore always be considered with reservations. After all, if you want to try ASMR on your own body, you can find a huge number of such videos on YouTube.