To wonder why East Asian countries can cope with wearing masks?

[sallyballynally]

Picture is of a poster in Seoul subway encouraging people to report others who are not wearing masks. I can only imagine the absolute tantrums that would occur on Mumsnet if that happened.

It constantly baffles me at how in Japan, South Korea and China people actually manage to be sensible and wear masks. My sister is in SK right now and EVERYONE wears a mask, no exceptions. Even toddlers wear them. There's no "it's too hot", "I want to see people's faces", "My humaaaaan rights". It's to the point that people on buses will bang on the windows if they see a pedestrian not wearing a mask. Some posters will say that they wouldn't want to live somewhere where they're socially pressured into wearing a mask. Yeah, I wish we were a country like Japan where there was no lockdown and 996 deaths. Why? Because masks. What is it about British people that makes us so contrary?

we have a major problem in this country with people who whine, moan and try and talk their way out of any personal responsibility.
I think in many ways its more representative of Mumsnet than uk as a whole

@butterpuffed

What is it about British people that makes us so contrary?

It isn't British people as a whole. It's MNers.

Crossed posted with butterpuffed!

Each of those countries has their own issues. Not coincidentally ... hideous air pollution akin to our 1950s pea souper smogs ... hence the mask wearing ... but it also comes in handy for the pandemic. Well trained from years of being unable to breathe. Not so compliant they don't need to put up nasty posters though.

Because they are not selfish, entitled, whingeing idiots. Masks are a trivial inconvenience for a very good reason. Get a grip and get on with it.

I thought they were used to wearing them because of extreme pollution and smog.

Out shopping yesterday I didn't see anyone not wearing a mask. If I had, I'd have assumed there was a good reason for it. I think the image of people banging the windows of a bus (to shame? draw an authority figure's attention to?) someone not wearing one is revolting, actually. How would you know that one person is not the person whose ptsd is triggered by having their face covered?

I don't have much time for the antisocial among us who don't follow rules on principle, but I'm equally repulsed by conformity at all costs.

There's a culture of the greater good and social responsibility.

Meanwhile in the UK there's a loud minority of people who are cry babies trying to find any reason they can find to justify why they don't fancy a small inconvenience.

Many asian masks are made of medical gauze not cotton. Makes them softer and more breathable.

There's a culture of the greater good and social responsibility.

There's also a culture of "do what the government says or go to jail for life".

There’s also hand over your private data

Bar mn where complaining is high, adherence to mask wearing is very high here. So I’d still choose here.

@vanillandhoney

There's a culture of the greater good and social responsibility.

There's also a culture of "do what the government says or go to jail for life".

Or be forcibly sterilised

@CrystalPuff

Many asian masks are made of medical gauze not cotton. Makes them softer and more breathable.

And more effective ...

They've already been wearing masks for yellow dust season and bad pollution days. I used to live in Seoul

In China there are generations that have lived through poor public health and other horrible infectious diseases. My kids had their temp taken and hand gel going to soft play over there. Generally they are a lot more hygiene aware such as leaving shoes outside the front door, wash hands as soon as you enter the house and change out of outdoor clothes. Not uncommon for elderly to be in PJ type clothes at home. I think they are just used to it. Also not really worth defying laws over there as the trouble you can get into is not worth it. People over here are used to more freedom of choice but they will get used to it. Just cultural differences.

They are countries with totally different cultures. They are also either the epicentre or close to the epicentre of a number of new viruses.
There is a huge amount to criticise about the UK but compared to China in particular, in our favour, our farming, animal husbandry and treatment of wild animals haven't yet caused an epidemic, and we did learn some lessons from BSE.

Because here every other person has a condition that will make them violently ill if a piece of fabric comes within an inch of their face. I guess they never wear scarves in the winter then

Exemptions exist for people who need them and your scoffing at people with conditions smacks of ableism. Wear your own mask and leave other people to get on with wearing - or not wearing - theirs.

I have two DC who are exempt due to ASD. One can cope with wearing a mask so does. The other cannot cope with it so doesn't.

Having been to the shops this weekend, virtually everyone was wearing a mask even children who were clearly younger than 11, and if the small percentage who weren't wearing them I presumed they had reasons that were none of my business.

@PlatinumBrunette

In Japan, the over-riding state of mind is consideration for others before yourself. Not so much here 🤷‍♀️

This. Consideration for others and concern over hygiene is a big thing in Japan. They also have no more questionable human rights than us.

China is able to enforce these things much more strictly, not a great example. Don't really know about SK or Japan, but they do wear masks more frequently. in Asia in general, even before covid.

I am one of those who feels it restricts my breathing to wear a mask, still wear one. Getting more used to it as time goes on. I guess in Asia they are more used to wearing them than we are, and they also learned lessons from Swine Flu and SARs that we maybe didn't here.

I’d rather be living in this country than South Korea or China- I am happy to live in a country that polices by consent and where privacy is relatively respected.
Organs being owned by the state, told what to wear ....I’m not a fan. I will comply but I won’t be cheering about it.

t's just different ffs. In some Asian countries where they wear masks they also trap rats whilst you eat in nice restaurants. Or eat with chopsticks or their hands.

Ooo, let's bash the uncivilized foreigners! Racist.

also went to the supermarket today and only saw one adult not in a mask (reasons none of my business). Even most kids had them on. So we are complying in general.

They care about their community. We don't.

Can we have a mask board to move all this ludicrously repetitive crap to?

Organs owned by the state? Have I missed something? Are we no longer allowed to opt out?

While Japan is much better than China in terms of human rights, the conformism there enables a hugely misogynistic society to continue to make women's lives a misery. So much so that many women are refusing to marry and have children.

Conformism is not anything to be proud of, imo.