On the Benefits of Face-Masks
"Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned with acid or something like that?"
"No, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think that everyone will be wearing them in the future."
-The Princess Bride
A lot of Americans have been frustrated by the refusal of their neighbors to wear facial protection in public. These refusals, as far as I can tell, stem wholly from the refusal of certain individuals to allow any form of authority to tell them what to do (though I note they're generally perfectly happy to let said authorities tell others what to do), rather than from any logical objection to the practice.
Interestingly, I have not as yet heard an actual argument against wearing face masks. The closest I've heard is the claim that they "don't work", which is more of a neutral argument than anything else: it doesn't in any way mean you should not wear them. Incidentally, it's true that face masks aren't great at preventing the spread of disease, and should be considered a last resort when more effective methods- such as staying the fuck home- are unavailable. But it's obvious even without doing any scientific research that covering one's face in some way reduces the chance of transmitting a disease that spreads through coughing and breathing.
Another possible argument, though not one that I've heard, is that it could make it harder to read a person's expression. I can see this being a minor problem in some circumstances, though on the regular, when I'm interacting with random people in public, reading their faces isn't terribly important, and I can get enough information from their eyes to tell their general mood. Some facial coverings might obscure the eyes, but I haven't seen them yet.
On the other hand, there are at least some benefits to wearing face masks, even disregarding the viral factor:
"No, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think that everyone will be wearing them in the future."
-The Princess Bride
A lot of Americans have been frustrated by the refusal of their neighbors to wear facial protection in public. These refusals, as far as I can tell, stem wholly from the refusal of certain individuals to allow any form of authority to tell them what to do (though I note they're generally perfectly happy to let said authorities tell others what to do), rather than from any logical objection to the practice.
Interestingly, I have not as yet heard an actual argument against wearing face masks. The closest I've heard is the claim that they "don't work", which is more of a neutral argument than anything else: it doesn't in any way mean you should not wear them. Incidentally, it's true that face masks aren't great at preventing the spread of disease, and should be considered a last resort when more effective methods- such as staying the fuck home- are unavailable. But it's obvious even without doing any scientific research that covering one's face in some way reduces the chance of transmitting a disease that spreads through coughing and breathing.
Another possible argument, though not one that I've heard, is that it could make it harder to read a person's expression. I can see this being a minor problem in some circumstances, though on the regular, when I'm interacting with random people in public, reading their faces isn't terribly important, and I can get enough information from their eyes to tell their general mood. Some facial coverings might obscure the eyes, but I haven't seen them yet.
On the other hand, there are at least some benefits to wearing face masks, even disregarding the viral factor:
- Anonymity/privacy. Face masks make casual identity detection much more difficult, something we should all be worried about. We all have a right to privacy and should protect it as a matter of course. Notably, it's still possible to identify someone by cues other than their face, and recognition software will undoubtedly soon adjust to deal with the interference of masks, but making people work harder to know more about you than they deserve to know is worth a small effort in my opinion.
- Fashion: the thought occurred to me recently that a face mask is sort of like a bumper sticker for the face. Less obscurely, it works like a T-shirt or cap, in that it can bear a slogan or other image that a wearer identifies with. Since these message-bearing articles already exist, it's not essential for this purpose, but the fact that it's impossible to miss while making eye contact with someone makes it a more direct communication.
- Support Businesses: Face masks are pretty easy to make, and can be made in a wide variety of qualities depending on how much one is willing to spend. It's important, of course, to know what type of mask you're getting. Small businesses can make some money shilling these things.
- Warmth: If you live in a cold area (which I decidedly don't), a face mask is great at keeping your mouth and nose warm, and is less socially intrusive than something more covering like a balaclava.