Slime videos are short videos of people playing around with a very slippery substance that is made of sodium polyacrylate, a superabsorbent polymer.
They are often shot vertically, and include a music track with a bass beat which is dubbed over the background sounds of the video, such as squelching and squirting sounds.
What is the history of slime videos?
The first slime video was uploaded to YouTube in 2012 by a user called ‘SlimeTime’ and has since garnered over 3 million views to date.
The idea of making slime videos, or ‘sliming’ as it’s known, is inspired by ‘Oobleck’.
Oobleck is a substance created by mixing cornstarch and water. It has a runny, liquid-like consistency when it’s left undisturbed but is viscous and solid when it’s disturbed.
How do slimers make slime?
Slime is created by mixing a clear glue (such as Elmer’s) with a coloured water solution.
The mixture then needs to be left to stand for a few hours for the glue to absorb the water.
The resulting substance is a thick, gooey slime that can be made in any colour.
What are the health effects?
Although slime videos were originally popular because they simply looked funny, they have gained a lot of popularity online for a very different reason.
The unique properties of slime – how it feels and the sounds it makes when it’s being moved around – can be very soothing to watch.
Slime videos are being used to help people with autism and anxiety to relax.
It has been shown that people who watch videos of slime on YouTube are more relaxed than those who watch videos of other things.
Slime videos have also been shown to reduce stress among children and adolescents.
In addition, the act of playing with slime can be very calming for children and young people. According to Sherrie Ashley, the co-founder of PeopleFastFind, slime videos engages your brain in a visual manner that makes it so you just want to keep watching!
