It's a growing phenomenon. Picture: Supplied
Men do it, women do it, even brave government ministers do it – masturbating, that is. And if multiple reports are right, more and more people are orgasming at work.
And not because of office nookie, but doing it by themselves, for themselves.
Masturbation at work is a thing, and it’s a bathroom cubicle, under your desk in the office or even an underground parking lot adventure.
But when you do, make sure your Zoom video is turned off, and don’t film self-love for your beau or belle either.
After all, it cost former Malusi Gigaba his job after the wrong kind of member of parliament went viral.
A growing number of opinions encourages masturbation for several reasons including wellness aspects such as stress relief, positive body image and self-confidence amongst others.
It’s also become a new sexual trend during the pandemic, with surveys showing an increase in self-pleasure as well as a trend in mutual masturbation that may soon overtake penetrative sex or even blowjobs as playtime of choice.
And masturbating during office hours, either at work or in a home office, has become a large trend.
As long ago as 2015, way before Covid entered our vocabulary, a Time Out magazine survey found that 39% of office workers in the United Kingdom wank at work.
And this includes male, female and all sexual orientations. The pandemic and online meetings have often accidentally shown our love for this pastime.
Last year, the New Yorker magazine suspended a reporter who started touching himself after a meeting, thinking the video was off.
Journalist Jeffrey Toobin said he did not realise that his video was on.
Earlier this year an Australian teacher’s aide was caught with his pants down after masturbating post a Zoom lesson.
These mishaps evidence not just stupid mistakes, but probably how widespread work-wanks have become.
“I was really feeling sexually charged at work one day,” says a 36-year-old Johannesburg marketing executive.
“It was a first for me, heading off to a cubicle at the office and taking myself to orgasm.”
She says that since then it became a regular adventure for her and, since working from home, a quick happy ending between endless Zooms can be a great stress reliever.
“But I check my video, my audio and every potential leak carefully before I indulge,” she adds. To date, she has been lucky.
One company, albeit an adult film production house, now gives employees masturbation breaks at work.
Glamour magazine reports that Barcelona-based producer Erika Lust says that the breaks were implemented to assist staff with stress relief and taking time out for themselves.
The magazine quotes Dr Beanne Fahs, a professor of women and gender studies at Arizona State University, who said that many women use masturbation as a stress release tool.
Another study of around 2000 women had similar findings.
In the film the Wolf of Wall Street Matthew McConaughey’s character encourages his new employee, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, to masturbate as often as possible at work to counter stress.
ALSO READ: Masturbation preferable over ‘sex’ since lockdown last year
Psychology Today tackled taking matters into your own hands and in an article said that it makes sense why men and women touch themselves at work.
Masturbation increases dopamine and endorphin levels that provide reward and stress relief in the brain.
The article says that a masturbation break can provide momentary relaxation, increase concentration levels and put employees in a better mood.
The story quotes a lecturer in psychology at Nottingham University who suggested that a masturbation break can replace the traditional smoke or tea break, for instance.
While getting caught rubbing and tugging at work can cost you your job or create global viral embarrassment, it is an accepted fact that more and more people are doing it.
And while science has not deep-dived into studying the growing phenomenon, the consensus seems clear that whether at home or work, for a bit of pleasure and relief of pressure, a good self-session is the way to go.
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