Imagine, if you will, bustling shopping centers clamoring with Christmas cheer and masked faces. Now fast forward a few years, and the facades of face masks have become a faint echo of a too-familiar past.
Today, in the closing chapter of 2023, masks have taken the back seat, a rare sight in the sea of smiling faces. The once fevered debate and ensnaring divisiveness masks caused have all but faded in the rearview mirror. However, even as the pandemic’s whisper of contagion still halo over us, we have somewhat embraced the curious phenomenon of wearing masks—it lies in that unique American pocket of acceptance where quirky becomes norm.
Brooke Tully, a maestro in understanding behavioral change, sheds some light: “Whereas home delivery of goods was a lurking trend pre-COVID, mask-wearing was utterly alien to the American psyche, until the pandemic. And what do you know, it's one of those novel norms that has managed to stick around.”
Now, our approach towards masks is ... situational. It is more a circumstance-prescribed variable than a constant accessory. For instance, consider the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s recent mandate for mask-wearing amidst a spike in respiratory viruses or the story of Sally Kiser, a North Carolinian, for whom a mask is an ever-ready, occasionally utilized shield. Situational norms have become the new world order.
Our initial fear-fueled frenzy for masks, propelling words like “N95” into everyday talk, feels almost like a ghostly apparition as mask mandates lose their once iron grip. Once the stark line between mandatory and optional blurred, our eager compliance dwindled, underpinning the cyclical nature of mass behavior.
Despite her championing mask usage, Anne Miller of Project N95 was abruptly made aware of the reluctance toward sustained norms. 'I was hopeful,' Miller reflects, 'that people would continue wearing masks as a simple preventive measure, similar to cultures worldwide. But it's clear our cultural norms and perceptions have a different trajectory.'
The fluidity and resistance in adopting new conducts is not solely characteristic of mask-wearing. Take the fiery controversy surrounding the introduction of seatbelt laws. In the wake of new safety regulations, public outrage emerged over perceived limitations on personal freedoms, echoes Markus Kemmelmeier, a Nevada-based sociology aficionado.
This balance between safeguarding public health and maintaining personal freedom is a tight rope to walk. At New York's Park Slope Co-op in Brooklyn, this balance is found with 'mask-required' days implemented alongside regular, mask-optional days, considering the convenience of immune-compromised patrons and minimalizing any potential financial impacts.
The differing reactions from customers reflect the current reality. Like NYC native Aron Halberstam, who selectively wears masks on the designated days, many are finding their own balance between safety and their personal beliefs.
'The culture has shifted,' reflects Kemmelmeier. Even without mandates, many opt for masks in crowded locations, or in situations like poor air quality due to wildfires. Masks, it seems, have found their place in our society's ever-changing peripheries, flexibly adapting and surviving as a flexible and versatile part of our lives.
