Justin Lehmiller is a Kinsey Institute research fellow and host of the Sex and Psychology podcast.
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https://scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3156895/why-viral-sex-trend-spreading-among-teens-may-be-sending Health & Wellness
Why a viral sex trend spreading among teens may be sending the wrong messages about self-pleasure
- #NoNutNovember month-long challenge encourages young men not to masturbate – but experts say it is a normal, healthy, common part of sexual development
- Teaching children healthy sexuality must begin early, sexologist says, and should destigmatise – not demonise – such topics
An annual month-long challenge encourages men, specifically teens, to refrain from masturbation. The viral trend even has celebrities like rapper Kodak Black (pictured at the Rolling Loud NYC music festival in 2021) taking part. Photo: Getty Images
Many people are familiar with No-Shave November, or Movember. But among young people, there’s a more crassly named internet challenge mocked and memed this month – one that focuses on self-pleasure.
The annual month-long challenge, #NoNutNovember, encourages men, specifically teens, to refrain from masturbation. The trend started around 2011 and transformed into a viral competition of willpower.
High-profile celebrities such as American rapper Kodak Black have taken part. And the recent season five premiere of Netflix’s animated sitcom about students, Big Mouth, focused on it, too.
Despite its widespread popularity, experts warn the trend can contribute to misinformation about masturbation and stigmatise self-pleasure for teens during a pivotal time in their sexual development.
“If you look at the narrative surrounding No Nut November on social media, it does seem to perpetuate this idea that there’s something wrong with masturbation and that it’s bad for you in some way. And that by abstaining from it, you’re going to reap some benefits,” says Justin Lehmiller, a Kinsey Institute research fellow and host of the Sex and Psychology podcast.
“Masturbation is a normal part of sexual development and a healthy sexual outlet across the lifespan – and it’s well past time we viewed it as such.”
What we know about self-pleasure
Masturbation is normal, healthy and common. A 2018 report found 92 per cent of men and 76 per cent of women in America masturbate.
Self-pleasure has numerous health benefits, including stress relief, improved self-esteem and even reduced risk for prostate cancer. It also enables young people, in particular, to navigate their sexuality on their own terms.
Ian Kerner is the author of So Tell Me About the Last Time You Had Sex.
“Masturbation is healthy, and [as] young teens come into their own sexuality … it’s a way of connecting to their sexuality through touch,” said Ian Kerner, author of So Tell Me About the Last Time You Had Sex.
Lehmiller says masturbation can also improve a person’s sex life by allowing them to better understand their own arousal.
“You can transfer all that knowledge into partnered encounters in the future to help you experience more pleasure,” he says.
The danger of demonising self-pleasure for teens
Some people taking part in the trend may view it as an innocuous challenge that shows a capacity for self-control, like the memorable Seinfeld episode, “The Contest” that won writer Larry David an Emmy. Kerner worries it pushes a harmful anti-sex and anti-masturbation agenda.
“Masturbation is healthy and has more benefits than not,” he says.
The cover of Kerner’s book.
The challenge contributes to misinformation, including that refraining from masturbation boosts testosterone or improves immunity. It also reinforces the false claim, promoted by anti-porn and anti-masturbation groups, that refraining from self-pleasure leads to improved sexual performance.
“[It] isn’t based on any amount of science, so when things like this come up, young people make an assumption – especially if they’re not exposed to proper sex education – and think this is some type of reality when there’s actually no science behind it,” says Michelle Hope, a sexologist and reproductive justice activist.
The trend may also contribute to feelings of shame, especially during puberty, by demonising self-pleasure as “dirty” or “guilty”.
“If we’re shaming them about something that is so natural, we’re also instilling in them this idea that something very natural makes them bad,” Hope warns.
That stigma can lead some people to view a natural activity as “a source of stress rather than an avenue for relief”.
We need to talk about teen sexuality, even if it’s awkward
Instead of shaming teens’ innate sexual curiosity, experts say we should “focus on reaffirming their experiences and their sexuality”. Sexuality is a normal part of human development.
Michelle Hope is a sexologist and reproductive justice activist.
Teaching children healthy sexuality must begin early, and advocates like Hope say it starts with education that destigmatises, not demonises, these topics.
“It’s important for us to understand that from the womb to the tomb, sexuality is part of your everyday life,” she says. “By providing young people comprehensive sex education, we’re really setting them up for a much more successful, healthier and pleasurable sex life in the long run.”