Michelle ThompsonMichael Ceely once spent a four-hour flight simply zoning out—no magazines, movies, or podcasts, just looking out the window and watching the flight map.
Ceely, a California-based therapist specializing in men’s issues, viewed this as a form of digital detox and meditation. However, a growing number of young men on the internet are doing the same and calling it “raw dogging.” Ceely explains his experience: “I was tired of the usual routine of watching a movie or reading a book on board, so I decided to stare into space and use it as Zen meditation.”
Ceely notes that it can be challenging to get some men to engage in meditation, mindfulness, or other “spiritual” practices. While he isn’t familiar with the term “raw dogging” in this context, he understands why the provocative name might attract certain travelers.
“Men like challenges,” he says. “It’s more socially acceptable for men to brag about this sort of thing. It might also appeal to the male psyche: I like a challenge, let me see if I can get through this. It’s an ascetic practice, but branded in bro-speak.”
Some men take this challenge further by skipping in-flight entertainment, food, drink, or even avoiding bathroom breaks.
This trend has gained popularity on social media, with TikTok users competing to see who can go the longest with the fewest amenities. A British DJ, known as oiwudini, received 1.3 million likes on a video where he boasted about enduring a seven-hour flight without headphones, sleep, or other comforts. One commenter described the experience as “an incredible dopamine detox.”
Some women are also participating in this trend. TikTokker Veronica Skaia shared that this is her preferred way of traveling. “I just stare into the abyss and watch the little GPS plane,” she said in a video that received 9,905 comments.
In GQ, reporter Kate Lindsay traces the origin of this oddly named trend to the Apple TV show Hijack, where Idris Elba’s character is on a plane without his phone or any devices. However, in the show, Elba’s character is preoccupied with negotiating with terrorists who have hijacked the plane, leaving little time for zoning out.
Emily Martinez
