4 ms·

Different people and cultures - I don't think it'll stick for all but there are people who enjoy wearing masks. They like hiding behind them, or they feel safe.

Different people and cultures - I don't think it'll stick for all but there are people who enjoy wearing masks. They like hiding behind them, or they feel safe. There are others who use them as a way to gain victim status in society - these are unique present-day phenomenon.

syncbehind 5y ago
>There are others who use them as a way to gain victim status in society Can you elaborate on this?
- ericmay 5y ago
  Sure - there are people in society who gain status by being a victim of some injustice or event. It means others will tend to give them social sympathy points, cater to their needs, and pay attention to them. In the case of masks - some will wear a mask for no scientific reason, just that they can become a victim. "Sorry I can't attend that event because it's not mask friendly." "Sorry do you think you could wear a mask when we're in a meeting together?" "Sorry I don't go to happy hours b/c of my mask" etc. It's going to be a whole subculture. There will be blogs, lifestyle magazines, you name it. "How to live your best life when others aren't masking up" - "top 10 skin friendly masks to wear" whatever. -edit- And just to make it clear I always wear a mask and follow state and CDC guidelines. I don't care about wearing one. Whatever the gov't says is what I'm going to follow. These are just personal observations.
tonyedgecombe 5y ago
I don't think it'll stick for all but there are people who enjoy wearing masks I can't see that being any more than a small minority. I don't mind wearing one but it is an inconvenience.
NortySpock 5y ago
People who are immuno-compromised, of course will want to wear masks People who are currently ill with some respiratory illness and don't want to share it. And finally I was reading an article about a few people with various negative facial features that they wished to cover (a mole, a neurological condition that caused unwanted lip movements, a facial scar, etc.) have really appreciated the cover of wearing a mask.
- ali92hm 5y ago
  Add people with allergies to that list as well. I've realized how much my allergies are better in the spring (both last year and this year) as a result of wearing a mask when I'm outside.
- ericmay 5y ago
  > People who are immuno-compromised, of course will want to wear masks > People who are currently ill with some respiratory illness and don't want to share it. These are both new to western society. I do think it was always a bit weird we weren't wearing masks when sick before last year, but maybe it was a good thing? Idk. The immuno-compromised thing is bizarre. Like where were masks before 2020 for those individuals? There are varying degrees of this, and I'm sure a tiny amount of people who were at high enough risk were wearing one, but the vast, vast majority weren't. > And finally I was reading an article about a few people with various negative facial features that they wished to cover (a mole, a neurological condition that caused unwanted lip movements, a facial scar, etc.) have really appreciated the cover of wearing a mask. Yea I can see that, though I would suggest it's likely to be an bad idea psychologically. The "reveal" aspect of the deformity or unpleasantness will be extremely traumatic for the revealer versus normalizing and acceptance.
  - Anthony-G 5y ago
    I guess the immuno-compromised and those who currently have a mild respiratory infection now feel they have “permission” from society to wear a mask. A non-East Asian person wearing a mask two years ago would have attracted a range of unwelcome behaviour – quizzical looks (mildest), questions, comments, verbal or even physical abuse (worst-case scenario) – depending on who they encounter. Personally, I hope our knowledge and scientific understanding improves with regard to the effectiveness of mask wearing in a non-medical environment to mitigate either spreading or being infected by pathogens.
    - ericmay 5y ago
      I think you’re quite off-base with your assertion that someone wearing a mask would be met with violence. Nobody would care. You’d just say “oh I am immuno-compromised so I try not to get sick” and then that’s that. In fact more likely someone would go to great lengths to make you feel comfortable and help you out because generally people are sensitive to people who are sick or have health problems, especially in America. Somebody might have question you because it’s abnormal, but it isn’t any more abnormal or different then someone noticing you are wearing pink hair or a random interesting t-shirt. I agree that people now feel they have permission, which is good because people who actually need to wear a mask should be able to wear one without being looked at strangely. But the vast majority of people who will continue to wear masks won’t fall in this category. Even after the Democratic administration (who I voted for) and CDC relaxed mask mandates people still wear them for no good reason. (They’re not sick, have no scientific reason for them, etc.)
p_j_w 5y ago
And then there are people who think wearing a mask is a worthwhile thing to do to protect other people when they have some contagious respiratory disease. You might call this category "people with a sense of common decency."
- ericmay 5y ago
  Yea it’s a bit bizarre we’ve had this whole culture of not doing that (COVID-19 being irrelevant here). Remember the phrase “it’s going around the office”? Yea that’s going extinct.

syncbehind 5y ago

>There are others who use them as a way to gain victim status in society Can you elaborate on this?

ericmay 5y ago
Sure - there are people in society who gain status by being a victim of some injustice or event. It means others will tend to give them social sympathy points, cater to their needs, and pay attention to them. In the case of masks - some will wear a mask for no scientific reason, just that they can become a victim. "Sorry I can't attend that event because it's not mask friendly." "Sorry do you think you could wear a mask when we're in a meeting together?" "Sorry I don't go to happy hours b/c of my mask" etc. It's going to be a whole subculture. There will be blogs, lifestyle magazines, you name it. "How to live your best life when others aren't masking up" - "top 10 skin friendly masks to wear" whatever. -edit- And just to make it clear I always wear a mask and follow state and CDC guidelines. I don't care about wearing one. Whatever the gov't says is what I'm going to follow. These are just personal observations.

tonyedgecombe 5y ago

I don't think it'll stick for all but there are people who enjoy wearing masks I can't see that being any more than a small minority. I don't mind wearing one but it is an inconvenience.

NortySpock 5y ago

People who are immuno-compromised, of course will want to wear masks People who are currently ill with some respiratory illness and don't want to share it. And finally I was reading an article about a few people with various negative facial features that they wished to cover (a mole, a neurological condition that caused unwanted lip movements, a facial scar, etc.) have really appreciated the cover of wearing a mask.

ali92hm 5y ago
Add people with allergies to that list as well. I've realized how much my allergies are better in the spring (both last year and this year) as a result of wearing a mask when I'm outside.
ericmay 5y ago
> People who are immuno-compromised, of course will want to wear masks > People who are currently ill with some respiratory illness and don't want to share it. These are both new to western society. I do think it was always a bit weird we weren't wearing masks when sick before last year, but maybe it was a good thing? Idk. The immuno-compromised thing is bizarre. Like where were masks before 2020 for those individuals? There are varying degrees of this, and I'm sure a tiny amount of people who were at high enough risk were wearing one, but the vast, vast majority weren't. > And finally I was reading an article about a few people with various negative facial features that they wished to cover (a mole, a neurological condition that caused unwanted lip movements, a facial scar, etc.) have really appreciated the cover of wearing a mask. Yea I can see that, though I would suggest it's likely to be an bad idea psychologically. The "reveal" aspect of the deformity or unpleasantness will be extremely traumatic for the revealer versus normalizing and acceptance.
- Anthony-G 5y ago
  I guess the immuno-compromised and those who currently have a mild respiratory infection now feel they have “permission” from society to wear a mask. A non-East Asian person wearing a mask two years ago would have attracted a range of unwelcome behaviour – quizzical looks (mildest), questions, comments, verbal or even physical abuse (worst-case scenario) – depending on who they encounter. Personally, I hope our knowledge and scientific understanding improves with regard to the effectiveness of mask wearing in a non-medical environment to mitigate either spreading or being infected by pathogens.
  - ericmay 5y ago
    I think you’re quite off-base with your assertion that someone wearing a mask would be met with violence. Nobody would care. You’d just say “oh I am immuno-compromised so I try not to get sick” and then that’s that. In fact more likely someone would go to great lengths to make you feel comfortable and help you out because generally people are sensitive to people who are sick or have health problems, especially in America. Somebody might have question you because it’s abnormal, but it isn’t any more abnormal or different then someone noticing you are wearing pink hair or a random interesting t-shirt. I agree that people now feel they have permission, which is good because people who actually need to wear a mask should be able to wear one without being looked at strangely. But the vast majority of people who will continue to wear masks won’t fall in this category. Even after the Democratic administration (who I voted for) and CDC relaxed mask mandates people still wear them for no good reason. (They’re not sick, have no scientific reason for them, etc.)

p_j_w 5y ago

And then there are people who think wearing a mask is a worthwhile thing to do to protect other people when they have some contagious respiratory disease. You might call this category "people with a sense of common decency."

ericmay 5y ago
Yea it’s a bit bizarre we’ve had this whole culture of not doing that (COVID-19 being irrelevant here). Remember the phrase “it’s going around the office”? Yea that’s going extinct.