The Mask: Ooh, Somebody Stop Me!

Photo by Markus Winkler from Burst

You got a problem with face masks?

Everyone, including myself had to adjust to the new practice of having a face mask cover half of our faces for most of the day.

However, wearing face masks is not a new thing. It is actually a norm for some people, due to higher level of pollution in cities or due to job requirement. Face coverings are also a norm in certain cultures due to religious reasons such as the niqab (face veil) worn by Muslim women or the ghoonghat worn by Hindu women. Face coverings were part of an ancient practice for women in most cultures either for matrimonial or religious ceremonies as a reason for “hiding” the woman’s shyness or preventing the groom from seeing the bride before the ceremony and protecting the woman’s modesty or pureness. You could see why face masks have become a political issue for modern society although its function is totally different from face coverings.

Certain individuals view a face mask mandate as a way for the government to control them, calling them “oppressive tools”. This view is more prevalent in the “freedom-obsessed” countries which I shall not mention. These individuals place their individual freedom above the importance of public health for, in some cases, religious or political reasons (the latter often, fueled by religion). As I have mentioned above, face coverings connote “feminine” qualities, weakness or shyness and due to these reasons, I assume certain individuals are afraid to be associated with it or forced to wear it in fear that their power or “masculinity” will be taken away from them.

On the other hand, religious reasons have also become part of the struggle to get people to wear face masks. Of course, we must first understand how religion functions in a society and how it fuels the anti-mask sentiment. You can say religious language is often used to justify any kind of political position such as childhood vaccinations and in this case, the anti-mask position with the intention to amplify the voices of the people who take this stand – quoting parts of religious texts and sharing ideas during congregations such as “God forbids his followers to close their faces” or “it is against God’s will” and “it is unnatural”. When people use religious speech, their authority or the authority of their ideas are perceived to be amplified through appeals to apparently unquestionable authorities such as God, deities and “ultimate truths” (Smith, 2020). It doesn’t mean that using religious language is insincere or wrong (Smith, 2020) but it is an effective way in persuading someone to take a certain stand. In most countries arguing religious claims are often treated with a special type of authority due to the sensitivity of the issue. For example, many parents still refuse to vaccinate their children on grounds of religious freedom.

Another issue is in regards to communication and how wearing masks has an affect on speech comprehension. I realize that a lot people have the habit of pulling their face masks down when speaking to someone, which obviously defeats the purpose of wearing it in the first place. Most people complain that when they wear masks, it muffles their speech and people are unable to see their mouths when they speak. That complaint makes sense if you are a blind or deaf person because they rely heavily on physical communication methods and clarity of speech. But if you can see and hear – then what’s the problem? It may open up the possibility of miscommunication and misunderstanding because the bottom half of the face of a person is covered up and the listener is unable to decipher the non-verbal cues. That makes sense as well. Humans rely heavily on non-verbal or visual communication on top of auditory speech as part of the “speech chain” which is the connection between how a speaker produces speech and how the listener receives it (Fridland, 2020). I often have a problem if the audio of the video that I’m watching is not synchronized. I just cannot keep on watching because it does not make sense. I wonder how many people have that problem as well. But I do not think this is a big enough issue to not wear masks properly in public places.

One valid medical reason for a certain group of people to complain about face masks are people who are suffering from lung disease or who are asthmatic. These individuals have difficulty breathing as it is. They deserve to complain but it also doesn't excuse them from wearing one in public places. It also gives a better reason for people around them to wear face masks because it protects their compromised airways as they have a higher risk for infections. 

Wearing face masks should be encouraged. Hand hygiene should be encouraged. It also helps to make it a habit. It should be also understood that in poverty stricken countries, it will be harder for every individual to have a clean face mask every day and it will be even harder to educate these individuals on how to wear it properly. Nevertheless, it will be much easier than convincing selfish, self-entitled individuals that wearing face masks saves lives. Malaysians on the other hand, and in most countries, obediently (at least, we try to) wear our face masks because logically, we know face masks are supposed to stop or slow down the spread of viruses. When it comes to a global health crisis, it is not about individual freedom or political positions we should be focused on – it is about collective cooperation of every individual to overcome the crisis.

Science and scientifically proven facts and figures matters. Research matters. Governments that focus on science and facts matters. This isn’t the time to worry about who is in power but for the citizens of a country to know whether or not their best interests are being prioritized. This isn't the time to worry about your freedom being robbed by the government, it's about having some sort of basic human decency and compassion for another human being. 

Also, I highly recommend that people stop pulling their masks down to sneeze. What is wrong with you?

 

References

Balani, A., Larkin, D., & Wall, H. (December 9, 2020). What psychology can tell us about why some people don’t wear masks – and how to change their minds. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/what-psychology-can-tell-us-about-why-some-people-dont-wear-masks-and-how-to-change-their-minds-150343

Brody, B. (May 5, 2020). Have Difficulty Breathing in a Face Mask? Advice for People with Asthma and Lung Disease. Retrieved from https://creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/coronavirus/managing-symptoms/difficulty-breathing-face-mask-asthma-lung-disease/

Fridland, V. (October 21, 2020). Why do masks make it so hard to understand each other? Nevada Today. Retrieved from https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2020/atp-masks-hard-understand

Ong, S. (June 9, 2020). How face masks affect our communication. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200609-how-face-masks-affect-our-communication

Rabinovitch-Fox, E. (November 18, 2020). The battle over masks has always been political. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/11/18/battle-over-masks-has-always-been-political/

Smith, L. D. (September 4, 2020). Why masks are a religious issue. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/why-masks-are-a-religious-issue-144391