By Carina Ortiz (J-101 Staff Writer)
With finals just around the corner, it’s difficult for students to find time for themselves.
It’s even harder to find time for relaxation and peace.
Students might be able to find some instant solace right at their fingertips.
The phenomenon ASMR has been ongoing for a few years on YouTube and has just now managed to come forth into what most people would refer to as mainstream social media.
ASMR is short for autonomous sensory meridian response which is a fancy way of describing the tingling sensation one might experience when watching an ASMR video.
Although originating on YouTube, these videos have trickled down to Instagram and other popular social media outlets.
These videos are created specifically to trigger the phenomenon of tingling sensations
The feeling of euphoria is often sought out by avid ASMR consumers and a major part of the community are college students.
Because of the ongoing stress that comes with being a student, it is easy to see why a majority of them turn to ASMR for relaxation.
Sandra Benavides, a student at UCI said, “I understand why people get so into these videos.
“It’s relaxing. I personally don’t watch it a lot, but I get it.
“I see why people turn to it during their times of stress.”
Although not everyone experiences ASMR, it has undeniably taken over the internet.
Some might even go as far as to say that ASMR has helped them with anxiety.
I have personally struggled with anxiety and panic disorder since the age of 14.
I developed it at an early age and found myself looking for ways to calm myself down in times of stress.
Having tried affirmations and meditation before, nothing has worked the same way ASMR has.
I came across my first ASMR video in December 2016 and now watch ASMR before bed at least two times a week.
I turn to it on days where I can’t get my mind to stop thinking before bed.
For those 20 minutes, I am focused on nothing else but the sounds coming from the video.
Sometimes I find myself in an entire state of euphoria until I give in and naturally fall asleep. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
The most popular ASMR videos a whopping 60 million views while the most subscribed channels have more than 1 million.
The community, however, doesn’t just exist exclusively on YouTube.
The Reddit community r/ASMR is home to well over 160 thousand subscribers.
For those students who can’t help but overstress during finals, give ASMR a try.