Why the hatred of masks?

[Ohchristmastreelove]

I don’t actually mind wearing one - I’ve bought several nice cotton ones from Etsy that wash and dry really well. Particularly in cold weather I would often go out with a scarf over my lower face anyway. I’ve kind of realised how grim strangers’ breath all over me in shops etc. is so I actually do feel more protected from ‘germs’ more generally wearing a mask in public.

Ok, wearing a mask when I had my hair done the other month was a bit annoying. And I wouldn’t like to have to wear one in my friend’s house when I go round (when it is allowed again! Not right now!)

But wearing a mask doesn’t make me annoyed or make me feel unwell. I honestly wouldn’t mind too much if they remained advisory for public transport etc.

I know this is an unpopular opinion!

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of restrictions I am really hating and struggling with but masks is not really one of them.

A mask wearing society makes lonely people lonelier.

Never happened before but got the train today for work 3 trains in total 1st connection fine 10 minute wait 2nd one as pull into station connecting train already in had to run down platform over bridge . Rucksac and laptop glasses steamed up out of breath as 4 flights of stairs . Just managed to get on train honestly felt like I couldn't breath because of mask got bit panicky TBH.

i cant see without glasses so im having to wear contacts everytime i go out but i dont mind it even though it does cause me irritation to my eyes. I do have anxiety attacks sometimes but can only think of one time in town that i felt it coming on and not able the breathe (even though i could obviously). I went off to the side where nobody walks, took it away from my face but not off, just pullex it out a bit and did some deep breathing til i felt ok then went home. Everyone is different though

I don’t mind them, but only wear them for short period of time like in shops and on public transport. I quite like them on public transport as It has reduced the number of people talking on their mobiles and it seems quieter.

I don't hate them too much, but I am looking forward to stop wearing them once it is safe to do so. I have to agree with you OP that they keep my face warm in winter

I wear them for 2h on public transport each day, and anything between 1-6h at work - unless I'm on my own in a room. Or on stage (I'm in performing arts), where we can take them off, but that's only possible due to everyone being tested every 3 days.

Those saying you can't communicate properly - really? Unless you're relying on lip reading because of a hearing issue, all it takes it's a bit more effort on both parts, but masks are perfectly compatible with communication. I moved to a new country only 2 months before they were made compulsory, I'm still learning the language. I just speak a bit louder and ask others to repeat something if I'm not sure what they said, but I've always managed to make myself understood with a) the mask on, and b) vey limited knowledge of the language. It takes a little extra effort, and a little less whining.

I wear both contacts and glasses and have only been able to find one model that works well with glasses. The mask almost covers my eyes, and the glasses go over it, sitting quite low. Not ideal but manageable for the odd weekend shop when I don't want to wear my contacts for just 30 mins. Like I said, it'll be nice not to wear them anymore. Although I can't complain too much when my family in Spain had to wear them everywhere, 24/7, in the middle of summer when it was 40º+.

Just thought I would hi jack the thread (sorry op!) but I want to recommend a product for all the glasses wearers out there. It's an anti fog product available on Amazon called Cat Crap (does not actually contain any animal waste) and it works! Shite name though

@CordeliaCroft

I don’t mind them, but only wear them for short period of time like in shops and on public transport. I quite like them on public transport as It has reduced the number of people talking on their mobiles and it seems quieter.

Why would it reduce the amount of people talking on the phone? I can't say I've noticed that, quite the contrary!

Because I'm a snowflake.
My ears hurt if i wear them for a long time. I also get stuck with a headache that won't go away until the next day.
I wear glasses and they get all steamed up so I can't see. Can't hear very well either (especially myself) so having a conversation is tricky.

However , that doesn't mean I won't wear one if/when I have to. It just means I avoid the places where they are required as much as I can.

I never used to mind them but for some reason, probably increased anxiety, I find them very difficult to wear. So I now don't visit shops.

It has happened recently but I feel as though I am going to have a panic attack and I get hot and bothered. I have never had panic attacks before.

Oh and because they make pick up time a pain in the ass. You try and recognise exactly which parent is the one sitting 2m away, in a huge parka,with a hat ,hood low down and mask on. Some stubborn ones won't say their child's name either because "I should know who they are by now". Uhm.. I do, when I can actually see their face.

I hate them, I have to wear one for 8 hours a day. We have had two new members of staff recently and I don't even know what they look like apart from their eyes.

I cannot wait for the day we can get rid but I can't see it happening anytime soon.

"how much do you communicate when you go to the shops or go on a train etc. really? The places where you are wearing a mask, how much do you communicate usually?"

I go food shopping with my toddler in tow so the answer to your questions is a lot! Bloody nightmare with a mask and no I can't shop without him.

I have asthma
I suffer from claustrophobia
I wear glasses and they steam up
I’m deaf and it means I can’t lipread
They give me acne
I can’t tell you how relieved I am that I do not have to wear one at work as would have to leave my job if I did

Goodness, where to start? I hate so many things about them. On a practical level it’s unpleasant because I have perennial rhinitis/sinus issues and find it hard to breathe normally in masks. They make me overheat very quickly and I hate the sensation of humid air circulating underneath the mask, like I’m permanently walking through a rainforest. They also affect my depth perception so I struggle to look down and negotiate stairs etc while wearing them.

Then there are the many and varied communication issues, which are probably my main bugbear. I have a naturally soft voice and had to literally bawl at a server in a noisy cafe the other day to make myself heard through the mask and perspex screen. I’m often hoarse after wearing them for any length of time. I find they reduce most interactions to a merely functional level - no small talk, no social niceties, and a great excuse not to even acknowledge other humans. This is all fine if you’re just dashing to Pret for a sandwich, but many isolated and vulnerable people rely on daily rituals such as chatting to the checkout/Post Office lady etc and in some cases people will have lost their only regular daily interaction.

Whatever anyone says, they do affect communication - in settings where they’re currently mandated I’m often with my toddler DD and it’s nigh on impossible to communicate effectively with her while wearing one, especially while also trying to juggle pushing a buggy or carrying a shopping basket etc. They also further marginalise already vulnerable groups such as those who rely on lip reading, or who struggle to recognise non-verbal cues. When everyone is wearing them en masse it sometimes feels I’m in a sea of faceless automatons - and I’m able bodied with no major social or communication issues so I can only imagine what it’s like if you’re autistic or hard of hearing.

I know some people welcome the anonymity masks can bring, and actually quite like hiding behind them, but our society is so divided and atomised as it is I worry for the impact on future social cohesion if mask-wearing continues longer term.

I'm being dictated to - wear the mask.
I talk to myself in the mask.. Thinking ppl can't hear me and my 14 y. o tells me otherwise.
I can't hear people well. They're muffled. As a blindo, I depend heavily on my hearing.
I find it like a dictatorship and there is always a nosey busibody commenting on others mask wearing (or not). They bring out the worst in people.

There is zero evidence they prevent the spread of this or any other Corona virus. Cotton masks the majority are wearing do absolutely nothing. Babies and young kids need to see our smiles. Making school kids wear them all day is so wrong.

My daughter is deaf and has cochlear implants, she’s got good access to sound but still relies heavily on lip reading. She can’t hear me well though a mask, the speech gets muffled, and she can’t see my lip patterns. I didn’t realise before masks, but quite often I’ll point to my mouth for her to read my lips when she is struggling to make something out. Can’t really sign properly in a mask either, as lip patterns are really important in BSL. So that’s my main problem with them.

But also, I like to smile at people, it’s rubbish when people can’t see that! Some of the ones I’ve got really hurt my ears. I walk quite briskly to school and then have to put one on and feel like I can’t breathe. They’re just annoying and unnatural! I always wear one, unless my DD really can’t understand me and I’m basically yelling into the mask, but I do hate them.

On the plus side, can eat raw onion in my salad at lunchtime without worrying about my breath.

They make me feel even more isolated than usual. I have face blindness and masks make it much harder for me to know who I’m talking too.

@OutwiththeOutCrowd

A mask wearing society makes lonely people lonelier.

I agree with you 100%

Just one small anecdote to illustrate the communication/social cohesion thing: toddler DD and I attend a weekly music class which continued throughout the most recent lockdown as it managed to classify itself as a ‘parent support group’. During lockdown adults all had to wear masks, and I noticed that interaction between most parents and children was minimal - lots of fiddling with phones during songs etc while the kids ran around. Last week we were told we could remove the masks as lockdown was over - cue everyone suddenly engaging with their kids, standing up and joining in with the songs’ actions etc. It was an instant and very striking transformation in how people related to each other.

Cant see where I'm going or read anything as glasses steam up. Also they are ineffectual and more of a breeding ground for germs than any protection against a virus. Waste of time

@nomorespaghetti: have you tried the masks which have a transparent panel over the mouth? We use these at work when we have a student in the group who is deaf.

My face gets sweaty and hot. When i speak the fabric gets sucked in and i feel like im suffocating. I hate masks. They dont even work. Silly nonesense that added rubbish to the environment and made a few quids to etsy and ebay sellers.
Of course i am not talking about PROPER ppe.

@GCAcademic I haven’t - do the mouth panels fog up or get wet? To be honest we’ve mainly just avoided places where we have to wear masks. And if we’re in such a place, like a shop, we don’t tend to say much to each other

I’m really claustrophobic and they make me panic

They steam my glasses up.

On a shallow note, they’ve given me spots

I wear one (without too much moaning) when I have to but I’m never going to love them and can’t wait until we can bin the bloody things