Are we losing what it means to be human by embracing technology over genuine real-world connection?

Young people are watching videos of (mainly) young women whispering affirmations into tiny powerful microphones, running their fingers through bowls of beads, miming stroking their viewers’ hair, and some, slowly spitting onto their fingers and ‘painting’ it gently across the camera lens. This content really needs to be seen to be believed, so watch the film above if you haven’t already.

In our research we’re seeing these videos featuring more intimate and sexualised ‘ASMR’ content, like the aforementioned ‘spit painting’.

It seemed curious that something so popular, and yet quite strange, was not being more widely commented on, so we decided to carry out our own research into the phenomenon and its appeal.

We have created an interactive report that includes examples of this video content and explores what this trend might mean for our society. To find out more click here.