The modern, modern ASMR shit you see tends to be garbage that someone claims is ASMR. When it became a mainstream trend to isolate a single sound, record it, and post it on Instagram or Tik-tok the meaning of ASMR really eroded.

Like, 15 or so years ago when the ASMR community on the internet was just starting, there were dozens of people dedicated to making videos and audio that actually trigger the physical ASMR response that some people feel. I’ve heard not everyone can feel the “tingles” that the acronym is actually describing, but I can feel them based in certain triggers AND when my body is in a certain emotional state. I’m not sure if people who have never felt them can’t feel them or just never found the right triggers; I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. I first felt it when I was a kid listening to my school’s librarian read a book; she wasn’t whispering or anything, but the intentionality in her voice while reading (and the lack of other intrusive noises) always made the back of my neck tingle. I had no idea what that was until one day I found this collection of “binaural” audio tracks uploaded to Youtube which ultimately led me to the ASMR community.

ASMR is way more than somebody making a video of themselves just smacking their lips while eating yogurt. It’s a description of a physical feeling. I haven’t really dug into the community lately so I can’t say how hard it is to find quality videos anymore, but I think if you try to look through the list of known common triggers and then look for dedicated creators trying to do a good job with those triggers, you might find something you like.

If you don’t, maybe I’m wrong and it’s true that only some people can feel it.