6 ms·

what's wrong with masked world? it helps stop the spread of other airborne diseases as well, it filters out (to some extent) the smog, facial recognition softwa

• carnitas 5y ago
  Oh I don’t know, crushing depression, psychological atmosphere of fear, no biggy
  • arpa 5y ago
    If you think masks are depressing and fearful, just wait for the climate wars...
  • _Microft 5y ago
    I understand that it must be depressing for people who see masks only as infringing on their freedoms and nothing else, because they are currently at the mercy of society. If someone sees mask wearing instead as a joint effort to fight the pandemic, as means to get out of it earlier by limiting the spread of the disease or as a way that they can do something to protect themselves no matter what others might do, then it is absolutely not depressing. Self-efficacy influences mood positively a lot.
    • deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  • trainsplanes 5y ago
    Wild how westerners make these dystopian associations, while in Asia it’s just part of basic hygiene, like expecting people to wipe their ass or wash their hands.
    • rayiner 5y ago
      Where in Asia is everyone walking around masked unless they’re actively sick? In Tokyo you can always see a few masked people, but that’s totally different than everyone being masked.
      • trainsplanes 5y ago
        Everyone in Japan is currently walking around masked. People here also walk around with masks during allergy season, or doing flu season even when they’re not sick. In Taiwan and Vietnam I saw (and wore) masks on days when the air was particularly dirty.
        • dnzkw 5y ago
          Jesus what a way of moving the goalposts. First you say in Asia (billions of people!) everybody has always walked around masked. Now it's only Japan and only during the pandemic.
          • trainsplanes 5y ago
            I didn’t say always. The person specifically mentioned Tokyo and I stated the reality of how it is in Japan. The situation is the same in China. I also specifically said people wear them outside of the pandemic. I think you’re very confused because you’re angry. Calm down. :)
        • rayiner 5y ago
          We’re talking about everyone wearing masks indefinitely going forward. Japan was definitely not like that pre-pandemic.
  • fsloth 5y ago
    These emotions are due to pandemic, yes? The mask is just an apparel - something that is now worn - but hardly the cause these negative emotions? I like the extra privacy a mask gives (introvert!) - but I do understand why some feel them uncomfortable.
  • BoxOfRain 5y ago
    The desire to get rid of masks is mostly iconoclastic in my opinion. People come up with all sorts of hand-wringing explanations for the anti-mask phenomenon but it's actually pretty simple in my opinion, people want rid of their masks for the same reason English people burn effigies of Guy Fawkes on the 5th of November. It's not the masks themselves that make people dislike them, it's what they represent. To some they're primarily a symbol of caring about your neighbours, to others they're primarily a symbol of government authoritarianism. It's this subjective, symbolic association that I think informs most people's opinions of masks. I suspect the Venn diagram of people who don't like masks and people who don't like coercively collectivist politics is basically a circle. It certainly is here in the UK, most opposition to masks in Parliament came from the Tory backbenchers which I guess is why their mandatory use was dropped this month; the 1922 Committee (a formal group of Tory backbenchers) can force a vote of no confidence in the Tory leader if 15% of them call for such a vote. Tory backbenchers tend to be more small-c conservative than the Tory frontbench, they're not necessarily anti-authoritarian but they're often anti-collectivist.
    • packetlost 5y ago
      I, for one, hate wearing masks. I do it if I'm required or am sick and not otherwise. In the winter glasses + hat + longer hair make it really difficult to get a mask on-off (not to mention extra fogging up glasses, which can be dangerous in some situations) and in the hot summers it quickly can cause overheating. It's also so depressing to not see people's faces outside of a small familial or maybe social bubble. Not everything is politically motivated.
• seattle_spring 5y ago
  Sorry, what did you say? I can't see through these fogged glasses.
  • arpa 5y ago
    I feel you man, but that means the seal on your nose is leaking. Pushing down on the flexible strip for better seal usually helps.
    • packetlost 5y ago
      It helps but it's near impossible to get it to stay that way
• colechristensen 5y ago
  The masks most people wear basically only diffuse sneezes and coughs which makes immediate droplet transfer lower. A piece of ordinary cloth on your face does not filter smog, does not prevent any airborne infection droplets from reaching you, essentially only lowers the chance of your cough hitting somebody else. You need an N95 or better to really do anything to protect yourself. Also even if you have a high grade mask, wearing it so it actually seals to protect you is hard and most people don't do it well.
  • mike_d 5y ago
    This should help make it clear: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/368/6498/1422/F1.large.jpg https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/368/6498/1422/F1.... Masks do more to protect others than they do you. Which is why we are safest when everyone wears a mask.
    • busymom0 5y ago
      Unless we are talking about fitted N95 masks, CDC used to say the opposite even about transmission to others: "There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure." https://www.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article https://www.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article > Disposable medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are loose-fitting devices that were designed to be worn by medical personnel to protect accidental contamination of patient wounds, and to protect the wearer against splashes or sprays of bodily fluids (36). There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.
      • ceejayoz 5y ago
        That's like trying to dunk on astronomers from the 1980s saying "there is no evidence yet of extrasolar planets".
• SheinhardtWigCo 5y ago
  > facial recognition software has more trouble Not really though.
  • arpa 5y ago
    sadness. Care to elaborate with a link perhaps?
    • SheinhardtWigCo 5y ago
      https://www.facewatch.co.uk/2020/05/11/facewatch-launches-facemask-recognition-upgrade/ https://www.facewatch.co.uk/2020/05/11/facewatch-launches-fa... https://www.sensory.com/finally-a-biometric-solution-that-recognizes-users-wearing-face-masks-and-doesnt-require-touch https://www.sensory.com/finally-a-biometric-solution-that-re... https://qz.com/1803737/chinas-facial-recognition-tech-can-crack-masked-faces-amid-coronavirus/ https://qz.com/1803737/chinas-facial-recognition-tech-can-cr...
      • arpa 5y ago
        thank you, sincerely
• throwawaysea 5y ago
  I find it very constricting as well as depressing. Regarding the constriction - the extra insulation causes me to sweat more, fogs up my glasses, and makes it harder to breathe. The depressing bit comes from not being able to see people's faces, smiles, and emotions as easily. It is especially difficult if you have a disability like deafness, where seeing lips is crucial to navigating everyday interactions.
  • ixacto 5y ago
    Not sure if I’m on the spectrum or what but it’s horrible trying to read expressions in a masked conversation, as in I can’t. Masks were not great for mental health, but apparently that doesn’t matter as much as virtue signaling.
• busymom0 5y ago
  The inability to see people's smiles, emotions is pretty sad. This is especially bad for new borns and kids. Also I don't know how people do it with having to smell their own breath for long. Regardless of how well the oral hygiene is, breath gets bad after eating some food. Also cloth masks are pretty much useless considering their penetration level of 97%. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/ > Penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97% and medical masks 44%. This study is the first RCT of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks. This is an important finding to inform occupational health and safety. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection. Further research is needed to inform the widespread use of cloth masks globally. However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for HCWs, particularly in high-risk situations, and guidelines need to be updated. https://www.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article https://www.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article > Disposable medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are loose-fitting devices that were designed to be worn by medical personnel to protect accidental contamination of patient wounds, and to protect the wearer against splashes or sprays of bodily fluids (36). There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza. > We did not consider the use of respirators in the community. Respirators are tight-fitting masks that can protect the wearer from fine particles (37) and should provide better protection against influenza virus exposures when properly worn because of higher filtration efficiency. However, respirators, such as N95 and P2 masks, work best when they are fit-tested, and these masks will be in limited supply during the next pandemic. These specialist devices should be reserved for use in healthcare settings or in special subpopulations such as immunocompromised persons in the community, first responders, and those performing other critical community functions, as supplies permit.
  • annexrichmond 5y ago
    Indeed, saying cloth or even surgical masks are effective is like using a wired fence to keep rodents out of your backyard.
• dnzkw 5y ago
  I'm tired of living in this new depressive, sterile world with no emotions. Also masks make it harder to breathe. And why not say it. The fact the government is forcing me to wear a mask indoors makes me want to get rid of it asap.
  • deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
• Rd6n6 5y ago
  I read recently in a hn thread that masks have surprisingly little effect on facial recognition accuracy
• kalaido 5y ago
  That's so wrong