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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Violet Affleck and mask mandates

335 replies

aold · 24/09/2025 09:44

AIBU think that this shouldn’t be encouraged? Violet Affleck advocating for mask mandates. Daughter of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. Speaking about the importance of masks. Says we should still be wearing them to curb the spread of Covid 19.
Shouldn’t a young privileged woman be enjoying her youth? Is there a reason for fit healthy people like her to still walk around in masks?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15127909/violet-affleck-mask-mandates-long-covid-ben-jennifer-garner.html

OP posts:
DontCallMeLenYouLittleBollix · 24/09/2025 10:56

slashlover · 24/09/2025 10:37

His speech therapist says she’s never seen a cohort like his - she puts the amount of speech problems and their type down to them not seeing people’s mouths moving during speech.

Sorry, who are these people who never spoke to their kids, or who wore a mask at home? Masks in China have been common for years but they never seem to have a problem.

The problem, unfortunately, is that in the UK some people were evidently reliant to a degree on socialisation within the wider community to get their kids speaking properly. I don't know anything about this issue in China, but things can be a problem in some societies and not others.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 10:56

Turningworld · 24/09/2025 10:46

She wants hepa air filters in public buildings. Hepa filters filter the air and significantly reduce the amount of bacteria, mould and viral particles that we breath in.
https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/covid19-national-project/2023/01/09/how-we-know-that-hepa-filter-based-air-cleaners-are-likely-to-be-beneficial-for-reducing-transmission-of-respiratory-infections/

Edited

No problem with that. Yes to filtered air in air conditioned buildings. Sounds like a good idea 👍

saynotofondant · 24/09/2025 10:56

slashlover · 24/09/2025 10:37

His speech therapist says she’s never seen a cohort like his - she puts the amount of speech problems and their type down to them not seeing people’s mouths moving during speech.

Sorry, who are these people who never spoke to their kids, or who wore a mask at home? Masks in China have been common for years but they never seem to have a problem.

I’m reporting what his speech therapist told me.

I don’t know what the mask wearing etiquette is in China - if it’s like pandemic conditions in the UK and Europe.

We lived in Germany at the time and his experience from 10 months to 2.5 years was:

  • nursery closed for months on end
  • no indoor playgroups
  • playgrounds closed (lockdown 1) or social distancing thereafter
  • no face-to-face (within 2 m) contact with anyone other than myself and his dad
  • older children and adults wearing masks in shops and on public transport

Of course his dad and I spoke to him at home, unmasked. But given all the above, it’s no surprise children’s speech suffered. Masks are one part of that.

User14March · 24/09/2025 10:56

Coffeeishot · 24/09/2025 10:46

Her mums absolute double, but yes she has a thing she believes in to keep her/us all healthy she isn't harming anyone.

Sorry but she’s very plain (?) her mother’s beauty/poise in part why an actress. What am I missing?

Turningworld · 24/09/2025 10:57

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 10:54

Well we do talk about the privileged being in their own bubble. I didn’t think this would one day mean literally. Perhaps an oxygen tank on the back would sort it.

I suffered from post viral syndrome for a long long time having been very ill as a teen. It still shows up in my blood sometimes so I have a lot of empathy for those suffering with long Covid. I still think they need to be mindful that the majority of people deal with viruses and shake them off. We have to try and live as a community with the majority in mind. During Covid it was found that some older people still had antibodies from the Spanish Flu that gave them protection. As generations come up Covid will be easier to deal with immunity wise so I’m not concerned about a general weakening of people through that particular virus.

I’m much more concerned at whatever the next pandemic will be and luckily for Violet, when it hits, her parents will have enough money to access the panacea of the moment and she can wring her hands for all the low income workers on the frontline of services who no doubt will be the first wave to go under.

She's doing exactly the opposite, advocating for air filtering in all public buildings to benefit everyone, it would also reduce transmission for the next pandemic.

Coffeeishot · 24/09/2025 10:58

User14March · 24/09/2025 10:56

Sorry but she’s very plain (?) her mother’s beauty/poise in part why an actress. What am I missing?

What! very plain? What a strange view to have.

User14March · 24/09/2025 10:58

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 10:56

No problem with that. Yes to filtered air in air conditioned buildings. Sounds like a good idea 👍

Agree.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 10:59

BunnyLake · 24/09/2025 10:54

Yes but isn’t she saying everyone should be wearing them not just her?

People posting on here are saying we have the wrong end of the stick. She just wants to bring in filtered air for buildings. Perhaps she was wearing her mask as a publicity stunt to prove the point that if we don’t sort out climate change we’re all going to be stuck with those bloody things on our face and we obviously don’t want that.

cmsgilu · 24/09/2025 10:59

She is welcome to wear a mask, as is anyone else who is vulnerable due to prior health conditions etc.
I won't be wearing one.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 11:00

Turningworld · 24/09/2025 10:57

She's doing exactly the opposite, advocating for air filtering in all public buildings to benefit everyone, it would also reduce transmission for the next pandemic.

Fantastic. Well done Violet 👏

just had a thought though. Who’s paying for that? 😵‍💫

aold · 24/09/2025 11:01

we know that exposure to viruses and bacteria helps create immunological memory and build resistance. Surely living in a sterile, sanitised world, in masks, buildings with filtered air, means our immune system
doesnt have to work?

OP posts:
aold · 24/09/2025 11:03

and who will pay to filter the air in public buildings?

OP posts:
AtIusvue · 24/09/2025 11:04

ForZanyAquaViewer · 24/09/2025 09:54

Yes. And? She didn’t pick her parents, she still gets to have opinions.

And how is this stopping her from ‘enjoying her youth’? Is enjoyment of one’s youth only to be derived from things you agree with?

We all have opinions…..just that we don’t get a stage at the UN to express them, unlike this child of privilege

RafaistheKingofClay · 24/09/2025 11:04

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 10:39

So if she’s not advocating for forced masks by saying those quoted words what do you think she is advocating for. How do we access our right to ‘filtered air?’

In the same way that other countries do by mandating air filtration in public spaces. It isn’t rocket science. The tech exists and is widely available. It just relies on people stopping lying about the risks of covid.

Schools and hospitals would be a good start. Would hugely reduce the spread across the country.

aold · 24/09/2025 11:07

RafaistheKingofClay · 24/09/2025 11:04

In the same way that other countries do by mandating air filtration in public spaces. It isn’t rocket science. The tech exists and is widely available. It just relies on people stopping lying about the risks of covid.

Schools and hospitals would be a good start. Would hugely reduce the spread across the country.

there are risk to many many things though. We can’t throw money at every single thing whilst we’re still looking for a cure for cancer.

OP posts:
Tiredofwhataboutery · 24/09/2025 11:09

I thought the odd bug here and there probably does your immune system good. Didn’t kids who were raised in isolation struggle with lots of germs when lockdown ended. I would like to see better ventilation / air purification in schools and public buildings. I think wearing a mask is a good idea if you have a bug to keep it to yourself!

Spookyspaghetti · 24/09/2025 11:11

aold · 24/09/2025 10:22

exactly. And I can remember the gleeful posts on my local community facebook page during the pandemic when posters would call out people for going to Asda without a face mask on. When they explained that it was because they had severe anxiety or asthma, they were shot down. It hasn’t aged well.

Considering the amount of people who died or were effected in the long term, I personally think it’s the comments of anti-masker, anti-vaxers, and the ‘Covid is a hoax’ people that haven’t aged well.

RafaistheKingofClay · 24/09/2025 11:14

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 10:59

People posting on here are saying we have the wrong end of the stick. She just wants to bring in filtered air for buildings. Perhaps she was wearing her mask as a publicity stunt to prove the point that if we don’t sort out climate change we’re all going to be stuck with those bloody things on our face and we obviously don’t want that.

I’m pretty sure she always masks. I doubt that was a publicity stunt.

Dinkyshrinks · 24/09/2025 11:14

She is advocating for improved indoor air quality - seems rational to me. Fewer pathogens, healthier environment, less absence, better test scores. I want some of that for my children please. Fewer ear infections following viruses makes sense for those concerned about speech and language issues (especially as there is a shortage of speech and language therapists).

By the way, WHO improved their IAQ pretty quickly early on in the pandemic. Parliament followed suit.

aold · 24/09/2025 11:15

Spookyspaghetti · 24/09/2025 11:11

Considering the amount of people who died or were effected in the long term, I personally think it’s the comments of anti-masker, anti-vaxers, and the ‘Covid is a hoax’ people that haven’t aged well.

and never mind the post covid mental health tsunami or
those who died or had delayed cancer diagnoses because of a complete lack of treatment during covid?
I’m fully vaxxed and wore masks whilst doing social distancing during the pandemic, but at some point we
need to live and to move on.

OP posts:
DontCallMeLenYouLittleBollix · 24/09/2025 11:16

Spookyspaghetti · 24/09/2025 11:11

Considering the amount of people who died or were effected in the long term, I personally think it’s the comments of anti-masker, anti-vaxers, and the ‘Covid is a hoax’ people that haven’t aged well.

It's not either/or. More than one group of people can be full of shit. There isn't a mechanism whereby nasty bullying of easily targeted non-maskers becomes less repulsive because some social media brain boiled fuckwits think covid is fake. You are in the wrong to try and use one group to detract from criticism of the other.

aold · 24/09/2025 11:16

RafaistheKingofClay · 24/09/2025 11:14

I’m pretty sure she always masks. I doubt that was a publicity stunt.

she does. And you’d think her parents would mask up in solidarity, but they don’t.

OP posts:
SoggyArse · 24/09/2025 11:16

GasperyJacquesRoberts · 24/09/2025 09:48

Are you suggesting that a young woman should not be allowed to choose what she wears?

It's the sanctimonious telling us off for not doing as she does that pisses me off.

COVID is no worse than a cold. Get over it FFS . Her generation are a bunch of wet lettuces

DontCallMeLenYouLittleBollix · 24/09/2025 11:17

aold · 24/09/2025 11:16

she does. And you’d think her parents would mask up in solidarity, but they don’t.

I wouldn't expect that at all!

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 24/09/2025 11:18

RafaistheKingofClay · 24/09/2025 11:04

In the same way that other countries do by mandating air filtration in public spaces. It isn’t rocket science. The tech exists and is widely available. It just relies on people stopping lying about the risks of covid.

Schools and hospitals would be a good start. Would hugely reduce the spread across the country.

Obviously this is the US and I’m assuming you and I are in the U.K. Do we have filtered air over here as standard? I have no idea but I’m guessing not. Are hospitals in the UK even air conditioned? They always seem blisteringly hot so again I’m imagining no.

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