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Damion Bailey Damion Bailey in beige shirt sitting in a gardenDamion Bailey

Damion Bailey says he likes the “challenge” of avoiding in-flight entertainment, films, books or music

Last week, Damion Bailey posted on Instagram that he had just achieved his “personal best” – a 13-and-a-half hour flight between Shanghai and Dallas without any in-flight entertainment, films, books or music.

“It’s quite tough, honestly,” the 34-year-old from Miami, Florida tells BBC News. But he keeps doing it.

Mr Bailey is part of a new travel trend, known as “raw-dogging”, where passengers spend long hours mid-air just staring straight ahead.

The longer you do it, the tougher you have apparently proven yourself to be.

“Just raw-dogged it, 15 hour flight to Melbourne,” boasts Australian music producer Torren Foot on TikTok, blinking hard as if to stay awake.

“No music, no movies, just flight map.”

Some also avoid eating or drinking. A few say they won’t get up at all, even to use the toilet. But health experts warn that more extreme versions of the trend can pose serious risks.

Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland recently joined the trend, posting that he had got through a seven-hour flight with “no phone, no sleep, no water, no food” and had found it “easy”.

Responses on social media questioned if he had really stuck to his own rules (a common question on similar posts from others). Some wondered if he was a robot.

And some simply asked “why”?

 Erling Haaland Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland sits on a plane Erling Haaland

Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland recently joined the “raw-dogging” trend

Posts about “raw-dogging” have grown steadily over the last year.

Increasing numbers of young men – and it is mostly athletic-looking young men – are posting videos of themselves on board, staring at the in-flight map or the safety instructions card, vowing to use the “power of the mind” to get them through.

As for the term “raw-dogging”, it might have carnal origins, but increasingly it is used for anything being done without protection or support.

For these men, the appeal seems to be the opportunity to prove their resilience and self-control.

Mental recharge or ‘idiots’?

Some medical experts warn of the significant health risks of taking long flights without food, water or moving around.

“They’re idiots,” says Dr Gill Jenkins, a GP who also works as a medical escort in air ambulance work. “A digital detox might do you some good, but all the rest of it is against medical advice,” she says.

“The whole thing about the risk of long-haul flying is that you’re at…

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