I was listening to an interview with a rookie football player (it’s back!!) talking about his experience in training camp trying to fit in with the veterans.  Because they were all wearing covid masks, he found it hard to know when he was being teased or seriously spoken to as the subtle facial cues of his teammates were covered up. This got me thinking about my own struggles in communicating while wearing a mask and feeling grateful that my potential miscommunications with a grocery checker would not result in boldly harm by a very large man trained to hit people.

I tend to be a soft spoken introverted person anyhow, and the mask just seems to add a barrier to friendly chatter I would normally make the effort to do.  I often have to repeat myself, and my corny joke or superficial banter definitely does not feel worth the person’s extra efforts to hear it be repeated.  Voices are muffled, smiles are hidden, and cues we usually can use to see if people are in the mood to talk or if they are receptive to what we are saying are blocked.  Already isolated from socializing, masks, despite their overwhelming public good, can create even more of a feeling of alienation.

Zachary Witkower at the University of British Columbia, an expert on social interactions, states that, “the face is one of the first things we use to assess those around us…and guide our social interactions.  Because masks obscure so much of the face, the ways in which we typically process social information is greatly disrupted.”  David Matsumoto, a psychology professor at San Francisco State University says we lose our social smile when we wear masks, as it only engages the corners of the mouth, compared to a “Duchenne “ smile that reaches the eyes and lights up the face (also known as smizing, smiling with your eyes).  He also notes that masks can hide other facial expressions that can communicate emotions like disdain or discomfort which is critical for effective human interactions.  Masks also damper the sounds and vocal inflections in our speech that can convey important aspects of intent or attitude, especially for those with hearing issues.

Experts suggest ways to compensate so that we can be understood and convey what we need to express.  Exaggerating is an important tool, such as using more pointed eye contact and turning your head to directly face someone.  Eyebrows also can express a great deal as well.  They can furrow, change angles, height and shape, all communicating a range of emotions from fear, disgust, anger and surprise.  You can also use gestures like waving, nodding and being conscious your body is an open position rather than having arms crossed and fists clenched (unless you want to intimidate someone for that last roll of toilet paper.)  

Millions of women around the world wear face veils in the form of burkas or niqabs. A woman from Saudi Arabia, Al Zayer, describes being more attentive to eye contact, tone of voice, and listening more carefully.  She says while it isn’t hard, it definitely requires more effort. On a positive note, there is more of a tendency to laugh out loud and say what you are thinking rather than just listening and nodding.

While masks literally put another layer of boundaries between us, by wearing them, we also have a common experience and shared purpose. And for those of us who love to accessorize, we can think of it as another opportunity for fashion!  Or a way to express your opinions and preferences on a personal facial billboard.  We are definitely in this together and wearing a mask is one of the few things we can all do to decrease virus transmission.  While we all hate wearing them, we can at least interpret it as an act of love for one another. So each time I have to put on my mask, I’m also going to do my best to put on a smize and think of my facemask as the modern equivalent of a victory garden!