\n
![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1439973753-e1723546221877.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n [ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
Most people kill time on a plane by reading a book, watching a film or even taking a nap. But now, TikTok\u2019s latest travel trend is encouraging plane passengers to sit silently and stare ahead for hours on end instead\u2014or, as Gen Zers call it, \u201craw dogging\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust rawdogged a 7 hour flight,\u201d one male traveler, @oiwudini<\/a>, posted his personal best on TikTok. \u201cNo headphones, no movie, no water\u2026 The power of my mind knows no bounds.\u201d<\/p>\n The video has racked up over 14 million views, and there\u2019s an endless stream of videos just like his, in which (mostly male) passengers spend hours mid-air abstaining from any in-flight entertainment.<\/p>\n Some raw doggers are even avoiding eating or drinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even Manchester City soccer star Erling Haaland and British rapper, ArrDee have joined in on the act, posting videos of themselves staring intensely sans distractions on recent long-haul flights.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s not clear what started the trend\u2014or why the in-flight map is the one exception to screen-free time\u2014but it seems like for these clout-chasing passengers, showing off their mental stamina is the aim of the game.<\/p>\n Of course, there is no proof that they are actually spending the entire duration of their flight mindfully. But experts tell Fortune<\/em> that cheating would be better for their health anyway<\/span>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n In a world where we have constant demands on our attention, switching off and having a digital detox has its benefits.<\/p>\n \u201cNot having access to emails, or the ability to \u2018check in\u2019 means that we can create the space to engage our minds in thinking about other activities and people,\u201d Dr. Sophie Mort, Mental health expert at Headspace and clinical psychologist tells Fortune<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we grant ourselves the space to switch off, it offers an opportunity to focus on what genuinely makes us happy,\u201d Mort says, adding that being constantly on can lead to stress, burnout, reduced life satisfaction, and even wreak havoc on your respiratory system, cardiovascular function, gastrointestinal health, and more.<\/p>\n \u201cSo switching off \u2014even if just when you are traveling can be just the ticket when it comes to protecting our mental state.\u201d<\/p>\n But, everything in moderation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDeciding not to watch a movie on a plane isn\u2019t going to hurt you,\u201d Mort concludes. \u201cBut abstaining from food, water, and sleep on a long haul flight\u2014and then taking these behaviors into your day-to-day life, and extending these behaviors further\u2014might.\u201d<\/p>\n In reality, moderation has gone out of the window here. <\/p>\n Experts told Fortune\u2014<\/em>that unlike your usual mindfulness exercises\u2014raw dogging is dangerous because people are doing it for a badge of honor online, instead of to actually switch off and therefore taking meditating to the extreme.<\/p>\n It\u2019s why Gin Lalli a psychotherapist specialist in anxiety, stress, and depression, and author of How to Empty Your Stress Bucket <\/em>says she would not recommend it \u201cat all\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI really have no idea why anyone would do it,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019re better off sleeping than raw-dogging.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead of making passengers feel zen, Lalli warns that the lack of stimuli, hydration, and nutrition can have the opposite effect and cause heightened stress levels, dizziness, negative thought patterns, and anxiety.<\/p>\n Aside from just making the journey more distressing for themselves self, raw doggers risk creating serious medical emergencies on flights.<\/p>\n Eloise Skinner, psychotherapist and author of But Are You Alive?<\/em> warns that the extreme lack of stimulation could even cause disassociation or disembodiment\u2014where one no longer feels connected with their own body.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially on flights, movement is important, and complete lack of movement can come with risks of deep vein thrombosis.\u201d<\/p>\n In the long run, she cautions that taking mindfulness to the extreme could lead to reawakening past traumas or altering one\u2019s brain so that it dumbs down emotions\u2014both positive and negative ones.<\/p>\n \u201cA healthier approach would be to integrate periods of reflection with adequate hydration , nutrition and light entertainment,\u201d Lalli echoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSmall manageable steps are always better than extreme practices. It\u2019s more sustainable and will provide better and more positive outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIs \u201craw dogging\u201d flights actually good for your brain?<\/h2>\n
The dangers of \u201craw dogging\u201d<\/h2>\n
View the new Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families list. Discover the 2024 top destinations across the U.S. for multigenerational families to live, thrive, and find community. Explore the list<\/a>.<\/div>\n