What is ASMR, viral and dominated by women on social media, relaxing for you but stressful for others / What the experts say about the „calming down” method preferred by Generation Z

If you search for „ASMR” on Youtube, the first suggestions of videos with this content will most likely be presented only by women. If you look at the most viral ASMR videos, you will notice that the ones with tens or hundreds of millions of views are also created by women. You’ll get the same result if you look at the most watched ASMR content creators. What is ASMR, though, and why is it mostly made by women?

For those who are probably very confused about what I mentioned above, ASMR is short for „autonomous sensory meridian response” and refers to a pleasant, or strange to others, tingling sensation that some people feel on their skin, especially in the head and neck, especially when they hear certain soft sounds such as whispering or brushing, as defined in the Cambridge Dictionary.

The concept of ASMR manifests itself in videos in which ASMR content creators, mostly women, whisper or brush a wig near a professional microphone that picks up these sounds at a very high quality.

Audiences watching such videos may experience a „tingling” sensation, very similar to goose bumps, which relaxes some but annoys others. In case you’re curious, here’s an example of an ASMR video.

ASMR videos have started to become increasingly popular since 2010, with one of the first ASMR content creators being Maria GentleWhispering, also known as „Gentle Whispering ASMR”, who currently has over 2 million followers on Youtube.

With ASMR going viral, ASMR creators have started to get more and more creative when it comes to making relaxing videos. The most popular ASMR videos are those that include role-play. Through this role-play, you can „go” to the spa, get a „haircut„, get a „doctor’s appointment„, all in a quiet, ASMR-style manner.

The popularity of ASMR is reflected in the numbers, as the hashtag #ASMR appears in more than 24 million videos on YouTube and is associated with some 1.9 million channels, and on TikTok the same hashtag has more than 35 million uses.

„The ASMR method offers a personal and individualized experience, which makes it attractive to younger generations”

But how does ASMR manage to relax the tens of millions of, mostly young, people who watch this content? What is the „science” behind these videos?

Mihaela Rus, president of the Constanța branch of the Romanian College of Psychologists, explained to Info Sud-Est why young people turn to ASMR.

Mihaela Rus argues that Generation Z faces high levels of stress caused by factors such as academic pressure, social challenges, excessive use of technology and uncertainty about the future, and that ASMR content can offer them a non-invasive and accessible method of relaxation, allowing them to disconnect from the hectic pace of everyday life.

But the president of the College of Psychologists of Constanta adds that the perception of ASMR sounds is deeply individualized and influenced by neurodiversity. Thus, while some people experience ASMR as an extremely pleasant and soothing sensation, others may have an adverse reaction, known as misophonia (aversion to certain repetitive sounds, such as chewing or loud breathing).

• „This difference in perception can be explained by the way the brain processes auditory stimuli. Individuals who respond positively to ASMR have increased activity in their sensory and emotional processing networks, which causes these sounds to be interpreted as pleasant and relaxing, rather than irritating or stressful,” the psychologist adds.

Among the reasons why Mihaela Rus believes that the ASMR phenomenon is so popular among young people is the high visibility on social media. This content is more likely to reach people who spend a lot of time scrolling through different social media platforms. Another reason would be the experience of intimacy and emotional comfort that this content can offer young people.

• „Many young people feel an increased need for emotional interaction, and ASMR videos that simulate personalized attention (e.g. „roleplay” with a doctor, a friend or a hairstylist) create the feeling of human closeness. ASMR offers a personal and individualized experience, which makes it attractive to younger generations seeking personalized forms of comfort. In a world where many young people feel social anxiety or a lack of authentic interactions, ASMR can compensate for this emotional need,” as explained by the president of the College of Psychologists of Constanta.

Why women „took over” the ASMR phenomenon

This field is dominated and associated with women, as they are the main and most popular content creators on social media platforms such as Youtube and TikTok. Of the list of most popular ASMR content creators on Youtube, 80% are women.

The most viral ASMR content creator is a female, „Gibi ASMR”, with over 5 million subscribers, and other female content creators who are among the most popular for ASMR are „Jocie B ASMR”, „Tingting ASMR”, „Gentle Whispering ASMR” and „ShiliASMR”, each with over 2 million subscribers on Youtube.

Among the top ASMR content creators on social media is also a Romanian. Romanian-born, American-based content creator „Mads P ASMR” is a popular ASMR content creator, with 2.5 million followers on her ASMR page on TikTok and over 117 million likes for her videos. On her Youtube channel Mads has around 592,000 followers.

The reason why women dominate among ASMR content creators seems to be the calmer tone of their voice, which has a soothing effect on the audience. Compared to a man’s voice, which is often harsher, a woman’s voice is perceived as more suitable for this type of content.

On Reddit and Quora, many users repeatedly discussed this topic, and their conclusion was that women’s success in ASMR is mainly due to their voice and the fact that female audiences are more likely to consume this type of content. Thus, women are more likely to create ASMR videos, which contributes to their popularity in this field.

Mihaela Rus, president of the Constanța branch of the Romanian College of Psychologists, says that several studies show that women have a higher sensory sensitivity than men, which would explain why women are more likely to experience ASMR and motivate them to create this type of content.

• „Women are more receptive to soothing tactile and auditory stimuli. Research on gender-differentiated neurobiology shows that women have greater neural connectivity in areas responsible for empathy, emotion and sensory responses.”

The expert also adds that oxytocin, known as the ‘attachment hormone’, is released in greater amounts in women and helps facilitate a positive response to stimuli that stimulate caring and closeness, such as whispers and gentle gestures. In addition, psychological and emotional factors play a very important role, and women are more attracted to comfort, care and personal attention, which are the key elements behind ASMR.

Too little scientific research

The psychologist notes that although ASMR is a popular topic in the digital world, there is little scientific research behind it. Existing studies on the topic do not prove that ASMR is a standardized method of stress reduction. Besides, unlike standardized relaxation techniques, ASMR has no clear protocol and its effects are not replicable for all individuals.

The psychologist also says that ASMR is not a scientifically validated method because the effects are subjective, and the lack of solid studies demonstrating its effectiveness shows that ASMR is a complementary relaxation method that can only temporarily reduce heart rate and anxiety in some individuals.

• „In this context, we believe that ASMR needs to be investigated in more rigorous studies, with large samples, detailed physiological measurements and comparisons with established relaxation techniques in order to be recognized as a scientifically validated method”, concludes Mihaela Rus, president of the College of Psychologists of Constanța.