Is ASMR Bad For You?


Is ASMR bad for you?

That seems to be on the minds of everyone discovering and actively using ASMR, whether bi-weekly or daily (such as myself).

If you’re new to the concept, ASMR is essentially a form of audible or visual stimulation that intends to make the user feel more relaxed and stress-free.

Even more so if you use some form of sleeping headphones.

This sort of meditation practice (from what I’ve experienced) helps a lot of stress and anxiety you may be feeling from day to day struggles or due to a negative stage of your life that you may be progressively dealing with.

Due to what ASMR can do for the user, it is heavily used as a way of bringing about sleep; as I’ve said it allows you to feel more relaxed and de-stressed which are both things that can help with the amount of sleep you can achieve.

And if you were to ask me personally “Is ASMR bad for you?”

I would have to say no.

In fact, it has massively helped with my mental health (and in the longterm a great deal of personal growth) from helping with my anxiety to destressing me from a busy and hectic day at work.

However,

They’re some downsides that I could see being ‘bad for you’ in the long run and could be used when collectively gather the facts to answer; is ASMR bad for you.

I have experienced some of these sorts of downsides and some I have not.

However, through extensive use, I feel that my points still hold value, and if you’re interested in finding out then please read on.

So, Is ASMR Bad For you? – The Downsides of ASMR

Despite the fact that there is not enough scientific research to answer these questions, I think it still is best to go over what I think and known to be potentially harmful (due to my own experiences) so that you can be more aware of the potential downsides of ASMR.

Potential hearing loss due to overuse of ASMR

is asmr bad for you

Whether you’re listening to ASMR, music throughout your day or watching the latest episode of the JRE podcast, having sounds in your ear for too many hours in the day will eventually take effect on your hearing.

Unsurprisingly, another common question alongside the one we are trying to answer here is; is ASMR bad for your ears?

Well, ASMR is a little different since a lot of it features calm sounds, like whispering and tapping on different objects; usually coming in at below 85dB which allows the user to listen to it for a long period of time without experiencing long term hearing loss.

At the very least, It is one of the side effects I can see potentially being harmful due to long term use, especially if you’re someone like me who uses it almost every night.

Speaking of dependency…

You may develop an ASMR addiction

Most recently, especially if I’m experiencing a bad month due to a depressive episode or anxiety from a personal project; I can become quite addicted to ASMR – as I need the tingly noises are the calm voices to help calm me down and distract me from the negative thoughts in my head.

In essence, giving me the sleep I desperately need.

However, this can have a pretty negative effect on me since it’s probably not a great idea to rely on something so external that I require to get the sleep I need to survive.

Although, If I’m self-aware enough (to the point where I realize I’m using it or rely on it too much) I take the necessary actions to remove it from my daily routine.

Such as an ASMR detox.

These are perfect in allowing you to get back to a sleeping routine that doesn’t heavily rely on ASMR and rather I begin again to use it for the enjoyment factor – as well as helping me with getting calm but not allowing it to be my only way of destressing.

If I find I come addicted, I also find it helps to face the issues I may be using ASMR to distract me from; whether that’s avoiding a certain someone or procrastinating from a specific project I should be working on.

Using ASMR to replace genuine social interaction

using ASMR to replace genuine social interaction

Now, this may seem a little strange but hear me out.

If you’re someone like me who enjoys listening to whispering sounds more than anything else, you can feel pretty connected to the creator, whether that’s Gibi, ASMR Glow, FrivolousFox and anyone else you may watch.

As I’ve established in other articles, ASMR feels like a 1 on 1 experience just like time spent with another person whether that be a friend or family member; like being alone with them in a dark and cozy room.

The reason this can become a problem is if you use ASMR to fill the social hole in your life; whether that’s down to lack of friends or because you’re stuck in your room doing school work all day and just never ‘get the chance’ to go outside.

It can seem great to essentially have someone there you can feel like you can connect to instantly through services like YouTube but if you abuse this privilege to fill the immediate social hole you experience in your life.

This can have a real negative effect due to it being the only way that you get your social interaction needs

Since just like all forms of social media

The connection you have with someone is not real (to a certain level)

Real-life interaction is far better than what you can get from any ASMR on the internet.

But that should go without being said.

Is ASMR Bad for you? – Summary

is ASMR bad for you

Now, all things considered, let’s summarise; is ASMR bad for you?

Just like anything, whether it’s drinking, smoking or eating junk food; everything should be done in moderation.

Ultamily, just be aware of how often you may be using ASMR and why you might be using it.

Consult your own subconscious and ask yourself these things and like I previously stated; try to face any problems you may be using ASMR to combat and try to get them in order first before you use ASMR for bad rather than for good.

ASMR is a wonderful thing and our community is full of wonderful people.

Make sure you use it to benefit your life, not negatively impact it.

Sweet Dreams,

Sydney.

Sydney Smith

I have been experimenting with ASMR for the last 5 years, and I have been writing about it for the last 2. This website is a place for me to write about ASMR, and a tool to discover more about it - and of course to try and shed some light on what ASMR is all about so we can grow this community even more!

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