Article begins
Doomscrolling social media, have you found yourself mesmerized by kinetic sand or a slimy substance? If so, you may have experienced autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), the psychophysiological sensation from various stimuli and basis for a diverse online subculture. Slime, an oozy substance between liquid and solid made from glue and other everyday household materials, also a toy, hobby, and community, provides insights into technologies of self-care to mitigate stress and induce a pleasurable state of slimefulness.
Imagine an overhead shot of disembodied, manicured hands, slowly dipping two fingers into a 12-ounce clear plastic storage jar of brightly colored slime, resulting in sticky and squishy sounds. After initial poking, prodding, and stretching, the hands pull and pour the slime onto a marble countertop where it quickly spreads. They add a chunk of air-dry clay on top of the blob and knead it into the mixture. Akin to pulling taffy candy, as it is stretched, folded over, and then squeezed, stretched, and refolded over and over again, this kneading action aerates the slime, producing air bubbles that pop and sonically punctuate the scene. As the hands warm up through transfixing repetition, the video slime-lapses to an expanded and expressed puffy foam, further pulled and refolded, forming smooth lines and contours, climaxing into the most satisfying slime swirl.
ASMR is a perceptual phenomenon, known for inducing tingling or other euphoric effects, and can occur through sensations or synesthesia from visual imagery, sounds, or touch. During live performances and spa treatments, the body, technology, ritual, and commerce intersect to promote calmness, relaxation, and a psychologically comfortable state. Studying the emotional and psychological response of watching ASMR videos online and in lab settings, psychologist Guilia Lara Poerio and colleagues found that participants who experienced ASMR had observable physiological reactions such as reduced heart rate and heightened skin conductance levels (2018). Regardless of trigger, the shared sensory response is most closely attached to a growing online video genre that has amassed followers over the past decade. A subgenre of “oddly satisfying” videos, ASMR can result from watching (and listening to) people loudly eat copious amounts of food, cutting or shaving bars of soap, or participating in asynchronous role-play delivered through comforting whispers. What began as niche Youtube material has produced ASMRtists and social influencers, ranging from toddlers to adults, on Twitch, Instagram, and Tik Tok, in a lucrative digital economy that values content creation and consumption. Absurd millennial internet humor meets do-it-yourself culture.
Slime flies when you’re having fun!
Before the pandemic and a boom in virtual spring break slime-making classes or slime-themed birthday parties over Zoom, the slime community was thriving. Exemplifying creative entrepreneurship and e-commerce, this global culture celebrates making, buying, and selling homemade slime, including participating in slime events in person or online. Ready-made seasonal varieties or a limited release “collab” with other slime shops or brands may sell out minutes after they drop. The pastime’s expansion has resulted in staff Instagram accounts, backup shop accounts, fan, or repost accounts. All work to uplift the brand, sell slime or slime-making supplies, and gain followers for Youtube ad revenue. The rare progression from amateur slimer to professional Youtuber elevates emerging slimers to the influencer market through paid sponsorships with Elmer’s or partnerships with Target to distribute slime product. For purists, this poses an issue in terms of slime quality and ethos, sentiments publicly available on Instagram accounts such as @slimeconfessions: “WHY MAKE THIS ACCOUNT? This wasn’t intended for drama, or anything like that. Just a place where you can let out what you wanna say.” The hundreds of anonymized social media posts of critical reflections from slimers show the shifting norms of the subculture and the ongoing tension between the promotion of affordable self-care through free, satisfying slime video content and homemade product, and the competitive slime toy market. For these slime aficionados, the making and playing with slime is all about achieving personal sensory satisfaction, whereas in-person events and online interactions are contexts of socialization into the cultural norms of what makes slime and slime videos valued in terms of the oddly satisfying market.
In spring 2019, on the outskirts of Chicagoland, I attended Global Slime Con (Schaumburg) and Maddie Rae’s Slime Bash(St. Charles), as lines of adoring fans of all ages (although most slimers are kids and teens) waited to take pictures with slimers, hoping to make it onto their Instagram Stories, accumulate more followers, and possibly promote their own budding slime business. These produced encounters encourage positive sensory experiences and inclusiveness by supporting in-person fellowship within the slime community, with events championing mental health and social causes, such as Slime Against Suicide.
Despite the expansion of these large group events, most slime activity occurs on social media or in solitude. Hate is not tolerated, and slime prides itself on being welcoming to queer slimers and slimers with disabilities. ASMR video content often reflects current events like holidays, social justice movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, and pandemic-related stress. While reactions to slime are subjective, integral socialization into slime culture can be seen in the metapragmatic activity on social media. Examples of this digital discourse primarily emerge semiotically through reactions to slime occurring by liking, sharing, or commenting on the quality of a video, the aesthetics of slime, or choreographed hand routines playing with slime. Over time, I found myself giving preference to certain slime videos over others and developed my own slime palette. I began to accumulate a collection of designer slimes and experimented with recipes. As the algorithms began to take effect, I soon was following and eventually unfollowing slimers and their social media accounts.
Will it slime?
Starting with the accidental discovery of Silly Putty during World War II by engineer James Wright, who tried to design an alternative to costly synthetic rubber by mixing boric acid with silicone oil, the bouncy and stretchy substance inspired other toys such as Flubber, Super Stuff, Green Slime, Gak, and Floam. Slime is a part of American popular culture: the iconic “gunge” or green gelatinous goop from the Canadian sketch comedy series You Can’t Do That On Television that featured youth contestants getting slimed throughout the 1980s and 1990s; the ghostly character Slimer from the Ghostbusters movie franchise; and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze. Fast forward to Minecraft slimes and screen-free occupational therapy sensory tools like fidget toys that help with focus, concentration, or emotional de-escalation through touch. Some therapists now prescribe ASMR video content as a new form of digital mental health treatment to alleviate symptoms of anxiety or sleep and eating disorders.
While materiality varies, slime forms through chemical reaction of a cross-linked polymer resulting in a non-Newtonian fluid. Arguably the best slime-making glue is a polyvinyl-acetate (PVA) or washable school glue made of long chains of polyvinyl acetate molecules. Slime materializes when glue is combined with a boron slime activator like borax powder, saline solution, liquid starch, or Elmer’s own proprietary blend of Magical Liquid. As with other interstitial fluids like honey or ketchup, the viscosity of slime is unstable and can change due to ingredients, temperature, or humidity. Slime consistency also depends on tactile manipulation. The rule of thumb holds that slime should be slowly played with and stretched, so as not to sever,