‘Doing nothing was a lot harder than I thought’: Gen Z is now ‘rawdogging’ boredom — here’s why it’s good for them

This is putting a batch of effort into being lazy.

Generation Zers person devised a caller measurement to mentally detox from omnipresent integer distractions — by undertaking challenges wherever they do thing each day, arsenic seen successful TikTok clips pinch thousands of views.

Dubbed rawdogging, nan believe involves staring into abstraction sans entertainment, slumber aliases different distractions to springiness themselves a respite successful an property wherever everyone is glued to their screen.

The craze initially took disconnected this past summertime aboard flights — pinch Gen Z ascetics filming themselves undertaking sky-high psychological fasts — but has since fanned retired to different areas.

In a caller bid of videos, a self-proclaimed “productivity” influencer named Rowan conducted an research wherever he rawdogged for an hr each time to hole his “attention span.”

He explained that he’d been struggling pinch a “short attraction span” owed to “constant dopamine hits from my phone, caffeine, sugary foods and games.”

“This gave maine specified difficult clip to attraction connected my activity and nan things I really attraction about,” he explained, adding that he felt he needed to person his encephalon “wander disconnected freely without immoderate stimulation.”

It’s safe to opportunity it was a batch of activity for “nothing.”

In nan first of nan regular clips — a 30-second timelapse filmed connected Sept. 29, 2025 — nan contented creator is seen sitting successful a recliner fidgeting pinch his eyes closed astatine 120x speed. 

“Just sitting location doing thing was a batch harder than I thought,” Rowan wrote.

By time 7, nan ascetic Jedi had mastered nan creation of “bore,” explaining that he recovered boredom a batch much “comfortable.” He explained that he utilized to usage his telephone everywhere, including during showering, eating and connected nan toilet, but had precocious not felt nan request to “carry it everywhere.”

The rawdogging marathon besides paid awesome dividends connected his output arsenic well. “Because I don’t request changeless stimulation, I consciousness a batch much productive,” said Rowan. “I attraction connected nan things that really matter to me, for illustration my work, relationships and being much coming successful nan infinitesimal that matters alternatively of checking my telephone each 2 seconds.”

He added, “So acold I’m satisfied pinch nan results.”

Many viewers lauded Rowan’s rawdogging Odyssey pinch 1 instrumentality calling nan situation “genuinely helpful” while different wrote, “motivating.”

“I couldn’t moreover make it done watching you do this for 1 minute,” lamented one.

However, others were little impressed.

“Anything but doing thing productive,” said 1 detractor. Others accused Rowan of simply rebranding “meditation,” echoing disapproval of Zoomers discovering things that already exist specified arsenic “girl dinners” (AKA leftovers).

Coincidentally, galore experts person espoused nan virtues of being disinterested.

“Learning really to tolerate boredom is an important skill,” Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, a Rockland County psychologist, antecedently told nan Post while speaking connected nan perks of being saturated arsenic a child. “There are ever going to beryllium times erstwhile we’re bored. If we ne'er let ourselves to person that emotion of wondering ‘What should I do pinch this time,’ really will we do that arsenic adults?”

In fact, immoderate experts not only endorse boredom, they prescribe it.

“Dr. Carl Marci, a psychiatrist and author, claims that, aft being saturated for a while, his children will “start to creatively lick their problems aliases distract themselves pinch societal relationship aliases play,” allowing them to beryllium funny and imaginative.

Constant entree to individual devices and screens — which characteristic “content designed chiefly to seizure a child’s attraction and prosecute them arsenic agelong arsenic possible” — teaches kids that “they don’t person to ever beryllium bored,” he added.

This isn’t conscionable anecdotal, either.

A study retired of Texas A&M University recovered that boredom serves arsenic a psychological awesome to activity caller experiences and turn arsenic people.