“Gooning” has become a popular trend especially among Gen Z males who came of age during the COVID isolation. For those who have never heard of it, this phenomenon entails hours of uninterrupted solo masturbation while watching heterosexual porn, sometimes on multiple screens, usually accompanied by hard-pounding techno music, and always with the goal of never climaxing. Practitioners describe the experience as like a drug-induced high or ritual trance, which they call the “goonstate.” Most gooners fear STIs and have little inclination to seek real-life female partners, but they do find communal bonding through platforms that allow them to watch neck-down thumbnails of other males masturbating to the same images and music. Psychologists and health experts warn about risks.
Read this account by a journalist who immersed himself in this community for a while:
