I spent 312Dhs on glue last month. Wallpapering, you ask? A little DIY? Crafting? None of the above. Let me give you the rest of the shopping list to see if you can suss it out: shaving cream, paint, hand lotion, liquid soap, and Borax (a cleaning powder imported from the USA that is used in strict moderation). By now you should have guessed it, but, if not, I will illuminate you; my daughter is a slime-a- holic. She makes all sorts of slime from scratch. In the kitchen.
I did not know that you could even make slime from scratch, but thanks to the teachings on YouTube,
Lolita’s become an expert. She knows just what to add to fix a slime that’s too runny or too dry. She can make colored or clear, butter cream or fluffy, smooth or textured.
Why does she do that? Besides her interest in chemistry, it boils down to the tactile pleasure of playing with it. She loves to stretch it like saltwater taffy then at once squish it to hear the popping sound. She pokes and drips it everywhere. Thankfully it doesn’t stick or stain.
Lolita is not alone with this obsession. Teens all over the world are cueing up to watch slime making videos. Why? News and entertainment website Fusion explained that the appeal of watching these videos rests on the somatic desire to touch or feel the slime in the video as you watch it – a feeling that is scientifically known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR for short. The desire apparently sends a tingling sensation from the scalp to the spine and sometimes even to the limbs, therefore resulting in a flush of euphoria.
According to CNBC, stores in the USA are regularly out of stock of a popular brand of glue, Elmer’s. The company has increased production output to help meet the demand. But when I told Lolita that Elmer’s plans on making slime kits for kids, she said, “No, thanks. I’ll continue making it myself. Oh, and by the way, Mom, we need more glue…”
