Why Experts Say Mukbangs Can Combat Loneliness

Human beings are wired to crave socialization and relationships, and when those are missing, it touches something deep within us. For many, that lack of connection manifests as loneliness, which can trigger anxietydepression, and even fatigue.

There are a wide variety of tactics to consider when addressing loneliness — ranging from mental health resources to hobbies — and one accessible strategy that could make you feel just a little bit better involves watching someone eat on screen. It sounds unusual, but research suggests that viewing mukbangs might help combat loneliness and feelings of social isolation.

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Mukbangs started as an informal trend in South Korea in the late 2000s, which has quickly evolved into a widespread social media phenomenon, says Min Ji KimPhD, an assistant professor of public relations at Flagler College who studies mukbang.

“Mukbang fosters a sense of connection and community through shared experiences, and people find comfort in sharing that small but sacred act of eating,” she explains. “Watching mukbang isn’t just about seeing someone eat — it’s about sharing an experience, and for many viewers, it offers a sense of comfort, routine, and companionship.”

According to a poll published by the American Psychiatric Association in 2024, roughly one in three Americans feel lonely every week. Can mukbangs actually be a useful tool in fighting this epidemic? The short answer is yes, but there’s a lot to it.

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What are mukbangs?

The term mukbang comes from two Korean words: muk-da (to eat) and bang-song (broadcast), meaning “eating broadcast,” says Kim. It refers to online videos or livestreams that show hosts eat large quantities of food, often while casually addressing their audience, which could entail anything from telling a story or reviewing new dishes to interacting with viewers through comment and chat features.

The style of a mukbang can vary widely — although a central host eating a large amount of food is always the main focus — and some may not include talking or focus exclusively on the sounds of someone chewing and eating instead.

Although they originated in South Korea in the early 2010s, mukbangs now appear across various global streaming platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch. “Viewers watch for entertainment, food reviews, vicariously experiencing the eating experience that they would normally not be able to participate in, and — critically — to alleviate loneliness and to have ‘company’ while eating,” says Christina IsMD, a board-certified psychiatrist and interventional psychiatry medical director with Mindpath Health.

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Mukbangs provide social and psychological benefits

According to Ni, mukbangs target multiple psychological sweet spots at once: intimacy (someone eating up close), novelty (interesting foods), sensory reward (visuals and sound), vicarious experience (eating types or quantities of food that aren’t immediately accessible), and social bonding (digital chats and parasocial ties). She details that “the combination of sensory pleasure plus social ritual is powerful, because it’s like a dinner party condensed to your mobile device, available on demand.”

For some, the sound of others eating is like nails on a chalkboard, but for millions of loyal mukbang viewers, Kim notes that the trend’s sensory elements — including visuals, sounds, and facial expressions — are a large part of its allure.

The intense sensory nature of mukbang is crucial to making it feel like an intimate experience. Kim explains that, “When the mukbang creator uses delicate, high-quality ASMR microphones, every detail of the crunch, slurp, and bite is amplified, and these exaggerated sensory cues heighten the realism, immersing viewers in the moment as if they’re right there with the host.”

Mukbangs also manage to take something deeply familiar and turn it into something new. “People are hyper-aware of how much time they spend on their phones or computers, so the idea of turning the traditionally offline, sensory experience of eating into something you consume through a screen can be intriguing,” says Kristin AndersonLCSW, a licensed psychotherapist and founder of Madison Square Psychotherapy.

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Even importantly for combatting loneliness, Anderson emphasizes that “Mukbangs bring the social experience of eating with others into the virtual space, making it accessible to people who might otherwise be eating alone.”

Loneliness has become a public health concern

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory framing loneliness and social isolation as a public-health crisis due to the scale of the problem and the measurable harms it causes, such as poor mental health, reduced life expectancy, and increased risk of chronic disease.

For Ni, “Calling loneliness an ‘epidemic’ is a public-health framing, because it signals broad population impact and the need for society-level responses through policy, health systems, and workplace initiatives, not just individual efforts and coping.”

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Why is loneliness so prevalent to begin with? To start, many spaces and structures that used to bring people together have been gradually disappearing.

“Over the past few decades, we’ve lost so many casual public spaces where people once naturally gathered and connected, since many corner stores, libraries, local diners, and parks that used to be the default places for informal social contact have been corporatized, defunded, or shut down,” Anderson points out.

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At the same time, participation in structured community groups like civic organizations, philanthropic causes, and membership clubs has also declined, making it easier to self-isolate.

Increases in screen time have pulled people inward too. Per Anderson, “ and people live a portion of their lives online now, which means less time with neighbors, less face-to-face connection, and social rust.”

This has been an upward trend for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated its development, with many people struggling to rebuild the networks they had before COVID. Younger generations may have had fewer chances to develop those connections in the first place.

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How viewing mukbangs can help reduce loneliness

Digital commensality

Even though you’re not sharing a meal in person, seeing someone eat on screen and interacting in virtual chat forums can — to a degree — re-create the warmth of sharing a meal with companions. This is especially useful for those who live alone, lack in-person dining partners, or have limited mobility or social anxiety.

Parasocial relationships

By repeatedly tuning in to watch the same content creators, mukbang viewers develop a sense of “knowing” the host, becoming familiar with their voice, mannerisms, and preferences. As Ni notes, that familiarity provides a sense of predictability and companionship without the vulnerability, complexities, and nuances of real-person relationships that might intimidate some people.

Real-time interactions

When mukbangs are displayed via livestream, Ni explains that comment and chat features allow viewers to be seen and heard as they experience the video, receive greetings, and sometimes influence the broadcast. This acknowledges and validates the viewer’s participation in the mukbang, which can reduce feelings of invisibility and anonymity.

Sensory satisfaction

Media featuring calming, repetitive, and vivid sounds — labeled as ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response — can prompt a sense of well-being and relaxation, according to Ni. When it comes to mukbangs, the sounds of chewing, swallowing, and moving utensils against the plate are examples of ASMR that can trigger a soothing sensory response, potentially reducing any distress surrounding eating alone.

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Low pressure socialization

Because they’re a one-sided social practice, mukbangs are a low-pressure method for people to experience someone else eating, talking, and participating in common social rituals, Anderson says. For folks who struggle with social anxiety, this offers an easier, approachable way to get exposure to social cues without the pressure of needing to respond in real time.

Routines surrounding food

For people who struggle to eat regularly or feel disconnected from their own hunger cues, the routine of watching someone else eat can be grounding. Anderson details that in some cases, viewers even time eating their own meals to align with watching mukbangs, creating a digital social ritual.

The bottom line

While mukbangs may be a small but helpful instrument to address loneliness, it’s important to be thoughtful about how much you rely on one-way digital interactions.

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“Mukbangs might mimic togetherness, but they don’t replace the emotional nourishment of real relationships,” Anderson emphasizes. “Like any coping tool, mukbangs can be helpful in moderation, as long as they don’t stop someone from trying to develop other skills to improve their lives.”