Hey everybody, Dr. Nick here with a new blog post for you on June 13th, 2026. And since I am all about learning new things, I want to introduce you to a term I just happened to hear. This special term is called Gooning. I would not be shocked if you have never heard of this term before because it is closely related to the Internet, fairly new, and involves watching erotica. So let me start this blog with a question: what is Gooning?
According to an article in The Conversation published on March 16th 2026, Gooning is a form of prolonged masturbation. The goal is not to orgasm but to stay in a sustained state of arousal for an extended period of time. Self-proclaimed Gooners may deliberately delay or avoid climax to experience what they described as a “goon state” – a trancelike condition characterized by reduced self-awareness and a sense of time distortion.
This idea of being in the goon state draws on familiar sex techniques such as edging – the practice of delaying an orgasm, and prolonged sexual arousal.
The big difference here is that edging typically involves online streaming pornography on multiple screens and browsers at the same time, frenetically edited videos which are often called porn music videos or PVMs, and in some cases, real-time interaction with other “Gooners” through online platforms. But here’s the thing, though…
Gooning has developed into an online subculture, complete with its own shared language, rituals, memes, and groups hosted on various platforms such as Discord, X, and Reddit. Members of this community share erotic clips, circulate memes, and tell their own inside jokes. They share tips for extending or intensifying their video-watching sessions, trade screenshots, discuss their favorite performers or genres, and post encouragement to other participants.
Well, there is a sense of community among the Gooners. Intimacy towards performers is often one-sided: content flows towards the user, affirmation is algorithmic, and arousal is engineered rather than negotiated. At the same time, people in this community tend to feel that relationships with real people can involve rejection, awkwardness, time, and emotional labor. In the Goonverse, on the other hand, desire is endlessly predictable, available, and never says no.
To close out this blog, let me say this. This is another element of technology that society is just not ready for. It’s here now, and we have to learn to deal with it, accept it, or reject it. The choice is ours. As long as it’s not hurting anyone, maybe it will be OK, but time will tell. Please take a moment and write your thoughts down below. Thank you for reading. Take care, and have a great day, Dr. Nick.