“It’s like music to my ears” has a new meaning when it involves the sound of keys clicking on a computer keyboard. Though many laptops and desktops come with flat, intentionally “silent” keys, the emergence of ASMR typing videos on Youtube has piqued an interest in the noisier, mechanical-style keyboards used most often for gaming PCs.
But what exactly is the connection between ASMR and keyboard noises? We reached out to Craig Richard, a professor of biopharmaceutical sciences at Shenandoah University to give us some answers. Richard is also the founder of ASMR University, an online resource center on all things ASMR, and host of the podcast “Sleep Whispers.”
ASMR stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response,” and Richard described it as a “deeply relaxing feeling often accompanied by light and pleasurable brain tingles.”
“You are most likely to experience it when a kind person is giving you positive, gentle, personal attention, such as moments with a caring parent, teacher, hairdresser, clinician, best friend or partner. ASMR videos and ASMR podcasts recreate interpersonal moments like these to effectively induce ASMR,” he told HuffPost.
Like whispers and tapping, Richard said keyboard sounds can fall into the ASMR-inducing category thanks to two factors: The sound is gentle and non-threatening, and it’s associated with a kind or focused person.
“Keyboard clicking is a gentle sound, especially if compared to glass shattering or to someone yelling. The clicking is the result of someone focusing on a task, so our brains become relaxed because this person is engaged and unlikely to harm us,” he said.
But even though the sound is pleasing, it’s not likely that you will experience ASMR as you do your own typing, much like how it’s difficult to tickle yourself. “The positive, personal attention from another individual seems to be very important for the ASMR and the deep relaxation,” Richard said. “This is likely because positive, personal interactions increase our oxytocin, aka the love hormone, which probably mediates the deep relaxation.”
However, if you just like the noise or you want to hop on board the ASMR keyboard train and start making your own 6-hour typing videos, Amazon has an array of colorful retro-style keyboards that are just as cool to look at as they are to listen to. Below, we rounded up nine keyboards that will click to your heart’s (or ears’) content. From old school, typewriter-inspired keyboards to pastel wireless keyboards, there’s sure to be a style that fits your aesthetic.
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