Other than being a misogynistic, unhealthy and generally terrible idea? Benjamin Davis has some thoughts to share.

No Nut November advocates for not masturbating for a month for its supposed health benefits but like most internet fads based on pseudo-science, doesn’t address our unhealthy relationships with porn or warped views on sexuality.

What Is No Nut November And Is It Even A Good Idea? (No, It’s Not) by Benjamin Davis

What’s The Deal With No Nut November? 

As with most of the worst things on the internet, No Nut November started with some jackass; this one posting shoddy, unverified, and repeatedly 

 entry, no less), which devolved into a clusterfuck of bad advice, misogyny, and rampant meme-fueled stupidity with not-so-subtle hints of 

Basically, it’s when a bunch of (mostly) bros claim to not masturbate for the month of November because, uh, Reddit told them to? (And 

?) I don’t know what the deal is with November being the month everyone decides to dedicate to dumb shit: grow a mustache, power write a bad novel, and stop masturbating. Like — why take the month where everyone’s seasonal depression is just kicking off to introduce a bunch of tedious crap into our lives? Who knows.

Not me, clearly. But No Nut November is the worst of them. It advocates the erroneous claim that when you stop masturbating for a month, your health improves. To which I say: 

, BULLSHIT. Don’t take my word for it; check out — 

 — articles that have done deep dives into the garbage claims this movement makes.

No Nut November doesn’t reveal the health benefits of not masturbating — what it does is show the unhealthy masturbation habits of the people participating in it. For example, if you eat six cheeseburgers a day (while watching YouTube videos of other people eating cheeseburgers in increasingly disturbing ways), and then stop eating cheeseburgers for a month, you’ll feel a difference. If you eat a reasonable number of cheeseburgers a week, then stop eating cheeseburgers, you’ll start to notice… nothing.

Therein lies the rub (or lack thereof) — it’s a mash-up of anecdotal evidence and slapdash conclusions drawn from correlated data to create Meme Knowledge. The dictionary defines a meme as “an image or video that is spread widely on the internet, often altered by internet users for humorous effect”. You sure you want to trust these people with your wellbeing?

Whatever — it’s not my thing (clearly). But, when it comes to sex, the internet can be a vile place. No Nut November is a meme-fueled parade of people whose idea of porn literacy is going on “

” fueled porn binges (most of it pirated from the creators too) to make weird unproven claims about the health benefits of occasionally taking a break from viewing sex, pleasure and porn as just another commodity. But hey — why not?

? Because of the way it warps people’s perspectives on porn, sexuality, and masturbation. A teenager scrolling social media should not be told that masturbating is bad for their health. It isn’t. All it takes is a Google search to see 

 talking about how beneficial it is. I myself have interviewed a clinical psychologist about the 

No Nut November doesn’t reveal the health benefits of not masturbating — what it does is show the unhealthy masturbation habits of the people participating in it.

And worse, the ‘No Nut’ movement has been picked up by abstinence groups that are doing damage to the next generation’s sexual development. What is going on is unhealthy both physically and psychologically. At best, this dumbass challenge gives internet trolls a few hearty meme chuckles; at worst, it confuses sexual development, spreads misinformation, and is used as a weapon by those who would encourage 

shame, repression, and unhealthy sexual habits

a much darker side that is drenched in misogyny

This is not to mention that 11 months out of the year, places like Reddit are a goddamn porn circus where all sorts of damaging rhetoric and images get thrown around. It’d be like if my local China Buffet turned into a Weight Watcher for one month out of the year and started preaching about the dangers of overeating. What a joke.

Don’t any of the participants in this challenge question whether they’re feeling these benefits because they have 

? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that in online spaces where porn piracy, image-based sexual abuse and underage porn are pervasive, a bunch of mostly straight dudes are finding benefit in not consuming porn 

. Porn does not inherently denigrate women but the way some people treat it does. Maybe the health benefits of No Nut November are just a side effect of their suffocated souls getting a bit of fresh air.

So once November is over, with our splooge and mustache clogged pipes, and with our unquestioning consumption of just about any porn the same as it always was, maybe it’ll be wise to rethink some of these bullshit internet-fueled traditions for next year. Write a book, if you want to. Be conscious of your masturbation habits. And grow that mustache whenever — wait, no, don’t grow a mustache, you all look like jackasses. Just donate to prostate cancer then. Better yet, if you want to prevent prostate cancer, 

. That’s it! Two birds, one stone: Mo’ Nut November. No one grows a mustache, everyone masturbates.