From Tide Pods to Connect-the-Four memes, the Internet (particularly Instagram) has undergone several odd phases of popular trends. Right now, simple videos of soap scraping and slime pop up in my feed. Intrigued by the popularity of those posts, I looked into why we like such sounds and sights.

A google search led me to ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. ASMR encompasses all the simple everyday sounds that we find soothing, whether it be hair cutting or a kindling fire. There isn’t enough scientific research to explain how ASMR pleases the brain, however.

Through the social media platform, “ASMRtists” can generate thousands of views and the #asmr contains more than 2.5 million posts. In fact, in South Korea, slimes have become increasingly popular, with K-Pop celebrities and civilians making their own slimes.

By skimming through #asmr, I saw over-the-top creativity in several posts. People were cutting lipsticks (some even involving Dior tints) and adding flashy things (think pearls, gold foil, and jewels) to slime. Though the results were slightly pretty, the luxuriousness was out of place.

The slime “industry” has rapidly expanded, with “slimers” like Karina Garcia earning 250K a month. Through social media, people can visualize and hear the slime. Through websites like Etsy, they can buy slimes up to $16.

Overall, the ASMR trend is one of the easier trends to understand (especially considering the dangerous trend of eating Tide Pods). It’s clear that people are willing to spend time and money  to enjoy the soothing and relaxing feelings associated with ASMR.