The strange ASMR trend on sea turtles

Lately, on social media, it has become increasingly common to come across videos of veterinarians or volunteers cleaning the shells of sea turtles from crustaceans that attach themselves to them. These small organisms, similar to shells, fix themselves onto the carapace to find a stable point from which to filter food from the water. Although they are harmless in moderate quantities, an excessive presence can weigh the turtle down – making it more vulnerable to predators or less efficient at finding food. The videos showing the removal of these so-called "barnacles" are becoming so popular that even AI-generated versions are spreading – often featuring animals not involved in the issue, including polar bears. But why are these kinds of videos so appealing? One of the most commonly shared explanations is that watching them gives some people a feeling of satisfaction. Users who enjoy these videos may be drawn to them partly because they experience them through a screen. In essence, they are intrigued by this type of content precisely because they are not directly involved in the scene – a sensation amplified with AI-generated clips. Not everyone, after all, would feel comfortable manually removing crustaceans from the shell of a sea turtle. But while some users feel a slight sense of disgust when consuming this kind of content, others are somehow captivated by it. This mechanism is known as “benign masochism” – according to the New York Times – and is widely studied in psychology, similar to the attraction horror film fans feel toward scary movies.

All About ASMR

The recent trend involving sea turtles falls under the broader category of ASMR, which, although it has been popular on the Internet for several years, few people know its origins. The acronym stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response,” and it was coined by the creator of a Facebook group dedicated to the topic. The pleasurable sensation generated by consuming content in this format has also been described as the “brain’s goosebumps.” The trend started spreading online around 2010, eventually reaching a global audience: a few years ago, for example, the Super Bowl featured a beer commercial starring Zoe Kravitz, made as if it were an ASMR video – the U.S. event is extremely important for advertisers, who compete for ad space. Meanwhile, fashion magazine W has long published a series of interviews with various celebrities, turning them into ASMR session stars – most recently featuring Lady Gaga.

The phenomenon has become so popular that it has also piqued scientific interest: some psychologists have found that these videos can help users with physical and mental disorders – to relax and relieve stress. In addition to YouTube clips, which are estimated to number over 45 million, today the trend develops through various channels – from Spotify playlists to dedicated websites, and even live ASMR sessions created for small groups. The types of content have also become much more diverse. Among other things, some combine ASMR with physical therapy, others with hair and beard care, or some – in front of the camera – play specific professions, pretending to be, for example, a dentist and simulating treatments for the viewer. A few years ago, a fast-paced version of the practice also emerged, known as “aggressive”. In Italy, for example, content creator New Martina introduced ASMR to the smartphone accessories industry. The removal of small crustaceans from turtle shells is thus only the latest of many gimmicks within the field. Some believe the pleasure these videos evoke doesn’t come solely from the sounds themselves, but above all from the sense of intimacy their consumption creates. Even today, ASMR is, for many, a real job – thanks to the millions of views videos in this format continue to receive.