I crave this feeling, which I associate with sitting in a darkened eye doctor’s office, listening to the soft click of the phoropter. There is another avenue for finding environments that have a swaddling effect on the mind, and that is the sprawling and wildly popular world of ASMR videos on YouTube. Many ASMR videos involve role play, with a YouTuber taking on a specific identity to simulate a one-on-one prom-dress fitting or lice check. While ASMR videos can prompt that nice prickly feeling, they have the broader aim of soothing viewers, many of whom often watch them as a stress-management tool or sleep aid. I started watching ASMR videos during Covid lockdown.

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Persons: ASMR, I’ve, Foley, Edward Scissorhands ” Organizations: Sensory, YouTube