This chapter explores the popularity of ASMR videos and why they often feature women. It discusses how certain sounds trigger ASMR, possibly due to the primal experience of being held and cared for, and touches on the connection between ASMR and mesophonia.
This episode was first broadcast in September 2021.
Have you heard of ASMR?
Whispery, clicky, crinkly videos are massive on YouTube - racking up millions of views.
The idea is that these sounds elicit a certain tingly, calming sensation in some people.
So what is ASMR and what does the science tell us about it?
Is it real … or pseudoscience? And why do some people get the opposite reaction – irritation rather than these pleasant tingles?