Of all the trends that have enriched 2024 so far, few have been as hard or exhausting (depending on how you want to look at it) as the escape trend of “rawdogging.”

For those who don’t know, “rawdogging” means surviving a journey, usually a long-haul flight, without a phone, magazines, headphones or any other form of entertainment, and in extreme cases, without food.

It is essentially a mental test to see if someone can last that long with only their thoughts and nothing else.

Soon after this trend emerged, experts began to advise against it, fearing that passengers would feel worse after the flight due to jet lag, increased stress and dehydration if they were to forgo any food intake.

But more and more people are trying it out – even Manchester City’s Erling Haaland boasted about taking a seven-hour flight during a pre-season tour.

Since then, other experts have said it offers the opportunity to mentally recharge, gain new perspectives and even find inner peace.

For those who want to take on the challenge without having to book an expensive trip, there is an online game called Rawdog Simulator.

In the game, developed by Rawdog Airlines, players enter a username and fake airline credentials. The simulator then guides players through the terminal and onto a plane where they can choose a seat.

The aim of the game is to keep your gaze focused for as long as possible. At the end of the game, the top 10 participants are displayed in a leaderboard so that players can see how they performed compared to the best.

The current best time is a whopping 18 hours and 40 minutes.

The times for second and third place are around three and a half hours, although so far only seven people have lasted longer than an hour.

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