\n<\/p>\n
Name:<\/strong> Rawdogging marathons.<\/p>\n Age:<\/strong> In its therapeutic sense, brand new.<\/p>\n Appearance:<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t look like much, to be fair.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t even know what it is. <\/strong>Originally, rawdogging was a slang term for having sex without a condom.<\/p>\n They have marathons for that? <\/strong>Over the years, however, it has come to mean doing something other than sex without preparation, protection or distraction.<\/p>\n What kind of something other? <\/strong>Almost anything: taking an exam unprepared was rawdogging it; enduring a long-haul flight without any kind of entertainment was rawdogging it. Going out alone, or sober? Rawdogging.<\/p>\n So by extension, a rawdogging marathon must be running a marathon unprepared. <\/strong>People sometimes use the term that way, but that practice should be discouraged, and it\u2019s not what we\u2019re talking about here.<\/p>\n Well then \u2013 does a rawdogging marathon mean doing anything for a long time? <\/strong>No. It means doing nothing for a long time.<\/p>\n I\u2019m very confused. <\/strong>Specifically, it means sitting still and staring into space for an extended period. Most importantly, without your phone.<\/p>\n Can I listen to music? <\/strong>No.<\/p>\n Can I read a magazine? <\/strong>No.<\/p>\n Can I be in the shower, or in bed? <\/strong>No.<\/p>\n Why not? <\/strong>Because you\u2019re rawdogging!<\/p>\n How long do I have to do it for? <\/strong>That\u2019s up to you. A \u201cproductivity influencer\u201d called Rowan recently filmed himself rawdogging for an hour every day in a bid to improve his attention span.<\/p>\n What did he do with the footage? <\/strong>He posted it on TikTok.<\/p>\n So that other people could watch him do nothing on their phones? <\/strong>Don\u2019t worry \u2013 he cut the hour down to a 30-second timelapse to make it less boring.<\/p>\n Just so you know, the irony of that is not lost on me. What was the result? <\/strong>He found it helped his focus and his productivity, and many of his followers were inspired by his efforts.<\/p>\n It sounds as if the TikTok generation has somehow invented meditation.<\/strong> That\u2019s one criticism levelled at rawdogging, but young people are battling monumental levels of distraction these days: while older generations had to learn to tolerate boredom, they must learn to cultivate it.<\/p>\n Who wants to be bored, though? <\/strong>Many neuroscientists suggest that boredom is not only good for you, it\u2019s a critical stimulus required for creative thinking.<\/p>\n Do say:<\/strong> \u201cAn hour spent without your phone is never wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t say:<\/strong> \u201cDude, just finished a rawdogging marathon \u2013 no headphones, no water, no shoes. Out of hospital on Tuesday.\u201d<\/p>\n