Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2015

Thesis Director

Richard G. Jones, Jr.

Abstract

YouTube is an online space where people can form a self-presentation strategy and construct an identity through a personal channel. The Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a physiological response that has been described as "tingles." Individuals on YouTube have created a multitude of ASMR videos to induce these feelings. In these videos, the creators tend to whisper into the microphone, softly touch the camera with their hands or props, or act out a particularly relaxing situation, such as a massage or haircut. This study examines ASMR videos and ASMR content creators as they construct and communicate their identities through their ASMR videos and their YouTube channels. Using Hecht et al.'s (2005) communication theory of identity, this study focused on the ways that content creators use their YouTube channels to construct and communicate their online identities. Through a content analysis, virtual ethnography, and interviews, this study discovered common themes in ASMR videos and several strategies in which ASMR content creators use to communicate their ASMR identities. I conclude that ASMR content creators use the layers of CTI to enact authenticity to legitimate and communicate their ASMR identity.

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