These modern warriors against sexual temptation have gathered together under the roof of a dedicated “sub-Reddit” ( /r/NoFap), where members can request publicly viewable badges (operated on the honor system) that track how many consecutive days of “fapstinence” they’ve clocked in, share their favorite tips on how to resist the urge, encourage newcomers by describing the benefits of a life of Spartan-like self-discipline, and seek solace and encouragement to get up and dust off when they fall back into old habits. The growing phenomenon recently captured the attention of New York Magazine and, while a short film highlighting the negative effects of porn and/or excessive masturbation is in the works on Kickstarter.Īlready there are over 130,000 fapstronauts, with hundreds more joining by the day. And joining their ranks is quickly becoming one of the hottest new trends on the social media site Reddit. They’re called “fapstronauts”: men and women who, for whatever reason, have signed up to take the “ultimate challenge” and conquer the urge to masturbate (“fap” in Internet slang) and/or use porn, whether it be for a certain, set period of time, or permanently. Note: Since this article was first published, the number of members on NoFap has increased from 65,000, to over 130,000.
