As I type this, I have some ASMR on YouTube in the background. Just about every single night I use it to get to sleep or just to relax. It is good background noise for when I’m stressed. It is self care.
Figuring out ASMR was not unlike seeking out a weird porn fetish. There was lots of stigma, and people around me made fun of it. The concept makes people feel awkward. It feels … intimate?
So, I jumped in and found a few different niches I liked. I like in-ear sounds, spa treatment role-plays, being comforted and taken care of, etc.
The other reason why, for me, jumping in to ASMR is weird is because YouTube’s algorithm bases recommended videos partially on the races of the category videos you’ve watched prior. And I first got introduced to ASMR in an indirect way via a white ASMRtist. YouTube also found me asian ASMRtists. But, I had to fight really hard to find black and latinx ASMRtists. I got the algorithm to finally learn that I want my YouTube recommendations to be as colorful as my life is – which took way longer than it should have. (What I’m saying is that the algorithm is racist, but is anyone really surprised by that?)
ASMR is for everyone. I recommend it. That are tons of different types of ASMR, and it is great for blocking out the world to focus on sounds and visuals for a bit.
Do any of you have ASMRtists to recommend? Let me know on here or on Twitter!
