REBECCA: Hello everyone. This is Talon marks multimedia editor, Rebecca Aguila. You’re wondering why I’m taking such a soft voice approach in this podcast.
REBECCA: Also, thinking What the hell is she going?
REBECCA: Welcome to ASMR.
REBECCA: ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. Another word for tingles in a way or goosebumps.
REBECCA: if you don’t know what ASMR is, it’s basically an upcoming YouTube community that is giving you a new way to relax, get some sleep, hear some positive affirmations. Or simply watch somebody eat a giant ass crab leg in some melted butter. It can get a little bit out there but not all videos are people eating huge portions of food.
REBECCA: I first discovered ASMR about three years ago, when I was not getting much sleep at night. Um, I think the first video I discovered was an ASMR artist called Solfrid ASMR that spelled S-O-L-F-R-I-D ASMR
REBECCA: She was eating delicious dishes that looked so appetizing. She then began tapping around her plate, tableware table and where she was eating almost anything that was around her she was tapping on it.
REBECCA: A mic was attached to her shirt. And I could literally hear her gentle breathing and the sounds her esophagus made whenever she drank water or ate her food. I thought this was pretty weird at first because I’m not the type of person to watch someone else eat for a long period of time. Neither do I wish to hear them smack their lips whenever they’re taking a bite into their food that’s just gross.
REBECCA: Um, I started watching ASMR YouTube videos around maybe midnight, or one in the morning. So you get pretty lost on the Instagram search page. And the many random videos that they seem to find you or you seem to find, however, you want to put it. And I later on sort of watching or noticing my search history on YouTube just being full of ASMR videos. And I was like “oh god, I’m- im sucked in this is- this is it I am an ASMR watcher. I am a person who really enjoys these videos because I have a lot of things that go around in my mind and sometimes I just I don’t know what to watch or, or what to do when I’m trying to relax. So I started watching some more videos as a way to just my guess probably clear my mind and really think about the things I need to take care of in my life. So it’s just a way for me to get a- have a level head you know, and I, later on, I started to indulge myself in the variety of satisfying sounds and other ASMR ASMR artists produced on YouTube.
REBECCA: Surprisingly, I found myself falling asleep to specific sounds that made me feel relaxed and focus on getting the feeling of sensational tingles or goosebumps throughout my body. Anyways, I kept watching ASMR videos in secret because I still thought this was a strange thing to watch and listen to I didn’t want anybody to judge me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was weird for having this coping mechanism to rid of my insomnia human if it’s helping me then I’m gonna keep watching it or keep listening to it. You know?
REBECCA: My YouTube search engine like I said, just slowly started showing my- my untold niche, you know, now I could care less what people think. I mean, this is blowing up all over the internet with videos that make people feel good. And then we eventually allow them to sleep.
REBECCA: One of my favorite ASMR artists is Lottie ASMR, which is spelled L-A-T-T-E ASMR.
REBECCA: She’s a Korean ASMR YouTuber with 1.3 million subscribers.
REBECCA: She mixes soft speaking with whispering, and usually posts role plays on although she really does post ASMR triggers and visual ASMR like face touching.
REBECCAI’ve seen her videos when she was just starting out and when her English wasn’t the best. Now she’s this sensational artist that really makes you feel good through a screen. And she’s halfway around the world. Her effort into adding the sound effects into her videos are just amazing. She’s really into role-playing and creating realistic atmospheres in our little studio or in our little house wherever she does them. She’s playing a witch or nurse looking for lice in your hair. I think that one has the most YouTube video reviews, I think, and a secret agent to rescue or rescue you, and so on and so on. So ASMR isn’t all that bad. I mean, it’s not bad at all. It’s another way for you to find relaxation is for you to find something there therapeutic
REBECCA: mean, hey, I’ve been caught earlier watching ASMR videos. And I’ve been judged. And I don’t give a crap because it’s something that really does help me relax and finally get the sleep that I need. And by the time I wake up, I’m like realizing, “Oh, I got a full eight hours of sleep” and not having to worry about me being cranky or me just not being able to think straight throughout my day. So thank you ASMR.
REBECCA: But as for now, thank you guys for listening. I’ll probably be coming out with more ASMR YouTube videos or podcasts. If this- if this podcast does really well. But for now. Thank you guys for listening. This is my ASMR podcast. I’m Rebecca Aguila multimedia editor for Talon Marks.
Audio and transcription by Rebecca Aguila
