this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
154 points (87.4% liked)

News

23259 readers
3848 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

This is an article about the online communities of people who abstain from masturbation. It discusses the reasons people join these communities and the potential harms and benefits. Some people find these communities helpful in overcoming pornography addiction. However, there is concern that these communities spread inaccurate information and may overlap with extremist groups.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 83 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

"Nothing scares me. Nothing hurts me anymore," a young YouTuber tells the camera as snowflakes cut across the frame. He is shirtless in a Michigan January, he tells viewers, to make a point about embracing discomfort in order to become a great, powerful man.

The YouTuber, who goes by the handle iamLucid, tells the camera he can stand the below-freezing temperature because he has been taking cold showers every day and, crucially, hasn't masturbated to pornography in a year.

"That's the most beta thing you can do. That's the weakest thing any man can do," he says.

Like the idiot fucking Boomers before them, these people are preaching putting up with the bullshit you're abused with as being "strong."

Good job being an effective slave you fucking idiot. Good slaves think they're strong because the abuse they suffer doesn't bother them.

Yeah, working forty years for the same motherfucker who keeps paying you less year after year while paying himself more really shows how "tough" you fucking idiots are.

"I don't cry when my daddy abuses me," isn't the fucking flex you think it is, guys. It means you're broken, not strong. People who punch dad in the fucking nose and get his abusive ass arrested are strong. People who put up with abuse are weak and broken.

Good to see young men are just as fucking stupid as their forebears. /s


Young Men: "Everyone assumes we're all terrible just because we're men, we're not given a chance!"

Also Young Men: Immediately embrace fucking backwards ass thinking that really justifies the assumption that they're all fucking terrible by default.

If they're trying to prove otherwise, they're fucking failing because they are god damned idiots obsessed with cro-magnon strength like that matters in the modern world.

[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

People who put up with abuse are weak and broken

A hearty and genuine go fuck yourself you moronic piece of shit. Abuse happens in all diff forms and all the responses to it (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) are involuntary.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 8 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Great comment.

A few things though, some folks enjoy the cold, and cold immersion, and that's fine. There are some studies that in some people there can be some benefits. Great.

Also, strength can be very ... Empowering. And some folks have legitimate lifestyles where being strong is a major benefit. Great. Seeking to be strong does not make one "cro magnon" in motivation.

But things like strength/fitness are made in the gym, and in the kitchen. Not in some odd biohack.

Ultimately, the user's habits don't seem like they're hurting anyone (unless there is context not shared in the quote.) And if so, good for them. Whatever placebo makes them feel confident/happy, good for them. There's people out there rubbing crystals and imbibing in essential oils lol. Issues only arise if they hurt or discredit others, which, the quote suggests, this user somewhat does. (Shaming those who masturbate).

[–] oatscoop@midwest.social 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Resiliency is incredibly valuable, and being in and working through tough situations is the greatest teacher for it. E.g. "I've dealt with worse, this is nothing."

But there are definitely healthy and unhealthy ways to gain resiliency. Those tough situations should be a net positive experience, and a something gradually worked up to in a way that doesn't cause physical/mental harm to one's self -- always in pursuit of something worthwhile.

Fucked up shit pushed by insecure weirdos on the internet is none of those things.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 3 points 9 months ago

I think we are aligned?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This is an excellent comment.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Thanks, it's really just me ranting into the void. They can't all be zingers.

[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 11 points 9 months ago

"I don't cry when my daddy abuses me," isn't the fucking flex you think it is, guys. It means you're broken, not strong. People who punch dad in the fucking nose and get his abusive ass arrested are strong. People who put up with abuse are weak and broken.

This part reminded me of the Behind the Basters episodes on Henry Kissinger. He would routinely get beat up by Nazi kids when he was still in Germany, but once he was an adult he would brag about how it never really bothered him.

We saw how that worked out.

[–] ArmyTiger@lemmy.world 55 points 9 months ago (11 children)

There's gonna be a really weird uptick in prostate cancer in 30-40 years.

[–] PoliticalAgitator@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago

At least most of them will be far-right.

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] DBT@lemmy.world 47 points 9 months ago

No Fap is literally the dumbest thing to ever exist.

[–] Neato@ttrpg.network 43 points 9 months ago (7 children)

"I have seen claims on social media saying that semen retention can boost your testosterone levels, cure erectile dysfunction, make you more manly, make you stronger, cure depression, make you more successful, clear your skin," says Ashley Winter, a urologist who has been publicly critical of nofap ideas.

"And there is no medical evidence that it does any of those things," she says, adding that in many male adults, abstaining from ejaculation will merely result in "nocturnal emissions," or wet dreams.

Why would your body respond to a perceived glut of mating (your body cannot tell the difference between intercourse and masturbation) with erectile disfunction? That would be a negative response spiral that would ensure extinction. It's actually the other way around: if functions of your body aren't getting used, they get cannibalized to save energy. This is why people with penises get erections at night: your body is ensuring it still works. Same reason why nocturnal emissions happen. Your body will ensure you can successfully mate even if you aren't mating on a regular basis.

[–] rambaroo@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

Your body absolutely reacts differently to sex than masturbation. I'm not defending this idiotic no nut stuff but there's no need to state misinformation.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925405-900-sex-with-a-partner-is-400-better/#:~:text=Surprisingly%2C%20after%20orgasm%20from%20sexual,satisfying%20than%20masturbation%2C%20says%20Brody.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

They must be relating it to refractory period somehow...

(Not agreeing with their conclusion, trying to imagine what they are "observing")

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 42 points 9 months ago (4 children)

A national poll conducted in late 2022 found that 4 out of 10 Americans believe society has become too "soft and feminine." Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson did a special for Fox in 2022 called The End of Men, drawing attention to "the decline of manhood, of virility, of physical health, all of which together threaten to doom our civilization."

Well that's fucking depressing but lines up with the MAGA banner comprised of the insecure and ignorant.

Wonder what society of manliness they want to go back to... Lynchings? The dark ages?

[–] Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world 27 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Tunker Carlston: MEN ARE GETTING TOO SENSITIVE.

(Tunker sees a rainbow flag and starts to rage)

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

Sounds about right since homophobia is at the heart of both.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Tucker is one of the last people I would take advice from on, well anything, but masculinity in this case.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Xavier@lemmy.ca 27 points 9 months ago (4 children)

I am not sufficiently qualified to comment on this particular sociocultural trends nor can I give medical recommendations. However, some may want to inform themselves by evaluating the current status of relevant research. A number of studies have found that greater ejaculation frequency is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

One such research in question :

Ejaculation Frequency and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Updated Results with an Additional Decade of Follow-up | doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2016.03.027

[–] Hardeehar@lemmy.world 21 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think it's more the psychology of the nofap group themselves that's hurtful. I've seen many/most discussions that are fine, but others are just wildly toxic with a cult-like "discipline".

You're either with us or against us.

Us vs. the system/females/people in power.

You're better than others. Or, if you trip up, you're garbage.

There's no in-between and no room for mistakes.

That's not good for you in the long run and it'll hurt more than it helps.

[–] APassenger@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I was referred to a Huberman YT about sleep. What immediately happened to my feed was astounding and an obvious onramp to toxic masculinity. Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan, DISCIPLINE, Optimize this and that, Alphas do this, sigmas fail because... And it's still sorting itself out months later;×I use down votes, not interested and all of that.

YT makes it easy for people to end up in places they shouldn't. But I'm sure there are a lot of views along the way.

That said, balance, discretion and never turning I to a creep who can't not objectify... Those are traits we should all maintain.

[–] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 4 points 9 months ago

It's profitable. The AI algorithm knows that many people will comment angrily or start looking for more info. It probably even tracks if you clicked the "not interested" button angrily or truly just disinterested :D

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

You do not maturbate because you want to boost your tostersone.

I do not masturbate because I am clinically depressed and can't stay awake long enough.

straightens tie

We are not the same

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] OpenStars@startrek.website 20 points 9 months ago (1 children)

MISINFORMATION... on the INTERNET... REALLY!? !? !?! /s :-P

[–] ivanafterall@kbin.social 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

There is no misinformation on the internet and you can quote me on that.

[–] OpenStars@startrek.website 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

A-a-are you sure you are okay with people knowing that we funded terrorism together? /s :-P

load more comments
view more: next ›