The Rise Of The Slime Economy

Slime, a Do-It-Yourself Gooey toy, is taking social media by storm. Instagram has around 5 million posts tagged with #slime, while certain influencers like Karina Garcia (considered the pioneer in the Slime trend) create slime videos with over 6 million YouTube subscribers.

Slime lovers are also selling their versions of slime online on platforms like Etsy. Viral Instagram videos serve as a marketing tool for small slime businesses. YouTubers doing slime videos make thousands of dollars in sponsorships deals.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) refers to a sensation which is like a combination of a tingling sensation, pleasure and relaxation. It is a relaxed trance-like state which has been associated with the crackling, popping and squishing sounds of slime videos, providing an insight into why these videos are popular.

The extreme popularity also led to a few accidents with kids using the Slime Glue which had the laundry additive borax, which can sometimes be mixed wrongly, leading to chemical burns. This led to a shift towards ‘borax-free’ slime recipes.