Exploring Asmr (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) Experiences in Young Adults

Abstract

In the recent years, ASMR has become an ever-growing trend, it’s safe to say that ASMR has grown in popularity. There are countless videos with over a million watches, as well as other channels with hundreds or even thousands of followers. The primary subreddit for it, r/ASMR, has over 1.3 million followers (Lopez, 2018). Relaxation (or "mindfulness") practices have grown rapidly in recent years. Big corporations have even included mindfulness meditation and encourage employees to use these practices during the work. Advocates of mindful relaxation exercises frequently highlight the therapeutic effects of stress reduction, such as improvements in pain management, mental health, and sleep (Cash et al., 2018). To further explore the opinions and feeling of audience regarding ASMR this study adopted a qualitive method and used Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) to further divide the findings into themes and sub-themes (Braun and Clarke, 2006) Through purposive sampling, twenty participants were selected (N=20), and they were then interviewed in-depth, using a semi-structured interview guide (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The findings generated five main themes: physiological response to ASMR, psychological response to ASMR, social media and ASMR, types of ASMR, and finally how the audience view the ASMRist. The results showed that ASMR helped the participants relax, and incited feelings of calm and soothing, participants would also use it as a means of escape from reality. Elements of seeking intimacy via media were also found, where participants reported either feeling or observing a connection between the audience and ASMRist. Finally, it was recognized that ASMR is viewed as a way to carefully place products and generate revenue via sponsors and brands. The impact of Mukbang on the audience and also the ASMRist is seen in a negative light as it puts one’s physical health in danger, furthermore female viii ASMRist are also viewed as sexual objects to enhance videos quality and also promote more products and encourages consumerism. Keywords: Autonomous sensory meridian response, ASMR, Mukbang, relaxation, thematic, RTA