Young Mormons Built an App to Help Men Quit Gooning

2 hours ago7 min read1 comments

In the quiet corners of Utah and across digital communities where faith and modern anxiety intersect, a group of young Mormon developers has built an app called Relay, a tool designed to help men break free from compulsive pornography consumption, a practice they refer to as 'gooning. ' This isn't merely a streak-tracking application; it's a digital sanctuary built on the principles of communal accountability and shared vulnerability.The creators, who themselves have navigated the isolating shame often associated with pornography addiction, speak of Relay not as a punitive blocker but as a supportive brotherhood. Users can track their porn-free streaks, but the core of the experience is the group support feature, where men share their struggles and victories in a moderated, judgment-free space.This initiative emerges from a specific cultural and religious context where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasizes sexual purity, yet it addresses a universal, human struggle against a habit that has been supercharged by the internet's endless availability. The founders told me in a series of conversations that their mission has taken on a new urgency with the rise of hyper-realistic AI-generated erotica, which they see as a more potent and psychologically intricate challenge than traditional adult content.They describe AI erotica as a 'siren call' that can create personalized fantasies, making disengagement even harder and raising profound questions about the future of human intimacy and attachment. The psychological framework behind Relay draws from both addiction recovery models and the power of social reinforcement, reminiscent of group therapy sessions or even Alcoholics Anonymous, but repackaged for a generation that lives on its phones.One user, a 28-year-old from Arizona who asked to be identified only as Mark, shared that the app’s group chats provided the non-shaming camaraderie he couldn't find even in his local congregation, highlighting how digital tools are filling gaps in traditional support systems. Critics might argue that such apps risk promoting a shame-based relationship with sexuality, but the developers counter that their focus is on agency and health, not repression, for those who have personally identified their consumption as a destructive force in their lives.The broader context here is a growing, multi-billion dollar 'digital wellness' industry targeting tech-related anxieties, from social media overuse to smartphone addiction, positioning Relay at the intersection of faith, mental health, and Silicon Valley-style solutionism. The app’s existence prompts a larger societal conversation: as technology creates new compulsions, from endless scrolling to algorithmic pornography, can it also be harnessed to build the resilience and human connection required to overcome them? The young men behind Relay believe so, framing their work as a quiet rebellion—not just against porn, but against the isolating currents of modern digital life itself, seeking to replace solitary struggle with a collective journey toward self-mastery.

#featured

#AI erotica

#porn addiction

#digital wellness

#mobile app

#group support

#young mormons

#Relay app

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