Do you ever get tingles at the crown of your head when you hear slight tapping on a desk or a warm, relaxing sensation when you’re whispering back and forth with a friend or S.O.? You may be experiencing ASMR or “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.” These “tingles” are known to induce calming feelings and can even relax viewers into a deep sleep. Though few recent scientific studies exist in regard to this phenomenon, ASMR has arrived in the mainstream media as well as taken YouTube by storm. ASMR creators, also known as ASMRtists, create videos where they whisper, brush hair and read to their viewers to share a form of intimacy that is not sexual.
In fact, the Online Mattress Review completed a study entitled “The Rise Of ASMR Videos” to understand the power and influence of these video creators and what content seems to be the most popular with viewers. They identified ASMR as “the most famous sleep therapy that you’ve never heard of.” If you are as big an ASMR nerd as I am, you can check out the whole study here. Below, we shared the top five interesting facts revealed by the study.
- 1) The most searched form of ASMR is massage videos.
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Many ASMR creators attract the most views when they perform scalp, hand and back massages on friends. According to YouTube search data, other popular searches include typing, tapping, whispering and even cat purring. One popular creator who does many massage videos is itsblitzzz based in L.A.
- Of the countries researched with data, Finland has the highest rate of ASMR searchers.
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In fact, the amount of YouTube ASMR searches amounts to over 2 per person in the country. It’s no wonder why Finland is ranked as the “happiest country in the world.” They must be so calm all the time!
- The top three ASMR creators in the world perform mukbang.
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For those who do not know, “mukbang” refers to eating large amounts of food and recording the sounds that come with chewing, slurping, biting, etc. Some viewers experience the tingling sensation with eating sounds. The number one creator in the world is Jane ASMR. She has over eight million subscribers, with millions of views on each video. Her estimated yearly earnings are roughly $6 million. Maybe it’s time for some of us to attempt a career in ASMR.
- The most viewed ASMR video to date is of slime.
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The video entitled “Making Glossy Slime With Piping Bags | Satisfying Glossy Slime, ASMR Slime” from Pelangi Warna has accumulated more than 125 million views since its release on February 1, 2020. Though the video is only 4 minutes long, estimate earnings for the creator total $211,000.
- The most popular channel based in Europe shows you how to make ice cream.
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Based out of Germany, YouTube channel “Ice Cream Rolls” takes you into a virtual dessert shop and shows the process of making rolled ice cream. The channel is also the 6th most popular one in the world with nearly nine million subscribers. Estimates indicate that these ice cream makers rack in more than $1 million per year through the popular channel.
If you are looking to relax after a long day, are stressed about an upcoming project or have endured sleepless nights in your dorm, go ahead and give ASMR a chance. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
*All information found in the Online Mattress Review in their April 2020 study.*