This is putting a lot of effort into being lazy.

Generation Zers have devised a new way to mentally detox from omnipresent digital distractions — by undertaking challenges where they do nothing all day, as seen in TikTok clips with thousands of views.

Dubbed rawdogging, the practice involves staring into space sans entertainment, sleep or other distractions to give themselves a respite in an age where everyone is glued to their screen.

The craze initially took off this past summer aboard flights — with Gen Z ascetics filming themselves undertaking sky-high psychological fasts — but has since fanned out to other areas.

In a recent series of videos, a self-proclaimed “productivity” influencer named Rowan conducted an experiment where he rawdogged for an hour each day to fix his “attention span.”

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

“This gave me such hard time to focus on my work and the things I really care about,” he explained, adding that he felt he needed to have his brain “wander off freely without any stimulation.”

It’s safe to say it was a lot of work for “nothing.”

In the first of the daily clips — a 30-second timelapse filmed on Sept. 29, 2025 — the content creator is seen sitting in a recliner fidgeting with his eyes closed at 120x speed. 

“Just sitting there doing nothing was a lot harder than I thought,” Rowan wrote.

By day 7, the ascetic Jedi had mastered the art of “bore,” explaining that he found boredom a lot more “comfortable.” He explained that he used to use his phone everywhere, including during showering, eating and on the toilet, but had recently not felt the need to “carry it everywhere.”

The rawdogging marathon also paid major dividends on his output as well. “Because I don’t need constant stimulation, I feel a lot more productive,” said Rowan. “I focus on the things that actually matter to me, like my work, relationships and being more present in the moment that matters instead of checking my phone every two seconds.”

He added, “So far I’m satisfied with the results.”

Many viewers lauded Rowan’s rawdogging Odyssey with one fan calling the challenge “genuinely helpful” while another wrote, “motivating.”

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

However, others were less impressed.

@productive.rowan

Recently, I have been struggling with having short attention span. Constant dopamine hits from my phone, caffeine, sugary foods and games. This gave me such hard time to focus on my work and the things I really care about. Then I came across a challenge for fixing your attention span. The premise for this challenge is for your brain to take a break and wander off freely without any stimulation. This is my first day of this challenge. I never tried this and it was challenging. Just sitting there doing nothing was a lot harder than I thought. I’m going to be doing this challenge for 30 days to show the difference. #dopaminedetox #100dayschallenge #focus #productivity #habitstacking

♬ original sound – productive.rowan

“Anything but doing something productive,” said one detractor. Others accused Rowan of simply practicing “meditation,” echoing criticism of Zoomers discovering things that already exist, such “girl dinners” (AKA leftovers).

Coincidentally, many experts have espoused the virtues of being disinterested.

“Learning how to tolerate boredom is an important skill,” Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, a Rockland County psychologist, previously told the Post while speaking on the perks of being bored as a child. “There are always going to be times when we’re bored. If we never allow ourselves to have that feeling of wondering ‘What should I do with this time,’ how will we do that as adults?”

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

“Dr. Carl Marci, a psychiatrist and author, claims that, after being bored for a while, his children will “start to creatively solve their problems or distract themselves with social interaction or play,” allowing them to be curious and imaginative.

Constant access to personal devices and screens — which feature “content designed primarily to capture a child’s attention and engage them as long as possible” — teaches kids that “they don’t have to ever be bored,” he added.

This isn’t just anecdotal, either.

A study out of Texas A&M University found that boredom serves as a psychological signal to seek new experiences and grows as people.



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