More TikTok Lingo: What Does ASMR Mean?

To be honest, you’re likely to encounter ASMR videos more often on some other social media platforms than on TikTok. It’s become a standard acronym used online, and ASMR TikTok videos follow the same approach as those you’ll see elsewhere. 

ASMR stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response,” a phenomenon that has been studied by both psychologists and neurologists. It’s a calming, often tingling sensory response, sometimes described as mild euphoria, that may be triggered by a laundry list of visual and audio cues. In short, hearing or seeing those cues is said to help people relax.

The term was coined in 2010 by a woman named Jennifer Allen, who wasn’t a medical professional. She simply found herself responding positively to the cues and came up with the name while interacting on online messageboards with others who’d experienced similar reactions.

Watching ASMR videos doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s not a clinical treatment. However, many authoritative medical experts say it may benefit people regularly dealing with stress and anxiety, as well as those who have been overstimulated by exposure to loud noise or troubling events.

But what does ASMR have to do with TikTok?

Explaining ASMR TikTok Posts

Content creators shoot a huge range of ASMR videos to post to the app.

The vids may include whispering, slowly and rhythmically tapping or brushing the microphone, crinkling of paper or other materials, hair brushing, or other repetitive sounds. Some ASMR videos include elements of personal attention, including (but not limited to) parental or medical care.

ASMR TikTok content has an intimate feel, with the creators (sometimes called “ASMRtists”) speaking directly to viewers, often in a soft voice or whisper. Some have associated ASMR with sexual arousal, although there’s no firm evidence that the majority of users watching the videos do so to become aroused.

There is a sexual side to some ASMR videos, though. Many creators have found that they can attract an audience of viewers that fetishize some of the activity featured in the content, such as hair play and smoking. There is an entire subset of ASMRtists who emphasize those elements to attract an audience that finds those actions sexually stimulating.

So, the next time you scroll by a TikTok post labeled “ASMR,” you might want to stop and check it out. You might find it relaxing, and perhaps even somewhat exciting.