Worrying health reality of viral 'gooning' sex trend that makes arousal last 'ridiculously long'

Experts have outlined warnings around the growing trend named 'gooning' that is causing huge conversation in the online space.

Talk of the bizarre sex trend has done the rounds online in recent times, joining the list of new, confusing jargon used to describe explicit acts.

Thanks to social media and an increasing number of people having no care for their online reputation, the term 'gooning' has become widely used by many, increasing the intrigue around this latest craze.

Joining the likes of 'shallowing', 'soft-swapping', or even 'hamstering', it's one of the latest instances of people being far too comfortable in sharing their bedroom habits online.

But, unlike the aforementioned trends, this one doesn't even involve partners at all, and only requires someone pleasuring, well, themselves.

Gooning can involve watching mass amounts of porn, which could be an issue (Getty Stock Image)

What is 'gooning'?

'Gooning' involves masturbating either by one's self or with a partner, and it involves getting close to the climax before stopping and then carrying on, in a method that experts say make your arousal last ridiculously long.

It has been said to be a hoot for people who have a lot of free time, in what is the latest version of 'edging' - a more familiar term to those who were born more than 20 years ago.

Speaking to Metro, sex expert Ness Cooper explained: "It’s simply like edging but more intense. Edging is when someone slowly masturbates to the point of orgasm and then stops. In gooning, people are more likely to repeat this process over an extended period."

It tends to put people in a 'trance-like state' according to Cooper, with it feeling more like teasing instead of forceful stops, with it often involving watching porn.

This can lead to a 'gooning' facial expression, involving crossed eyes or even drooling as a result of the act, as the term has rocketed to popularity in 2025.

What are the health concerns of 'gooning'?

But there are some concerns, as Dr Paula Hall from the not-for-profit Pivotal Recovery, a specialist in working with porn addicts, explained to the Daily Mail that carrying out the behaviour regularly could lead to health issues.

"If we keep repeating any behaviour it gets more habituated. Your brain is undoubtedly becoming more habituated to that behaviour and the more often it’s repeated, the more likely you are to struggle to stop and enjoy other activities," she revealed.

She added: “We know that people with compulsive sexual behaviours tend to struggle with erectile dysfunction”.

Watching too much porn and gooning too much can cause issues in the bedroom with partners (Getty Stock Image)

Dr Hall said that evidence points to the compulsive use of pornography negatively impacting other life aspects such as friendships, finance, mental health, relationships, and work.

“Many people start with online porn but then progress to chat, webcam, adult hook up sites and offline real-life encounters,” the expert pointed out.

Cooper explained that the popularity around the term came from dominants and porn producers' who used it on porn sites prior to the COVID pandemic.

It used to be used to humiliate submissives in sexual acts, as the expert went on: "Now it’s used as a general term for prolonged edging even if you’re not submissive.

"It’s generally used by cis-men performing edging, however, more and more women are gooning now too."