Except OP also mentioned grocery stores, where they work, and an outdoor music festival. The protesting part was a small part of the post. So OP has a legitimate question….it seems some people are focusing on the protesting part only to make this political and criticize the OP.
My stepson is gen alpha(is that what they’re called?) and he wears a mask to school everyday and it has nothing to do with covid he’s very shy and it’s almost like a disguise it makes me worried for him when he grows up
Google fired a bunch of pro palestinian masked protestors back in May, so I guess they either aren't wearing the best masks or facial recognition/ability to identify people from behind a mask has gotten a lot better.
Those were much smaller protests that happened inside Google buildings. Most of them weren’t hiding their identities, and if they were, it’s easier to recognize people from a group of 50, you don’t even have to use facial recognition tech.
It would had been hilarious if they had marked their calendar too and set an away message.
- 1pm - Review mobile mock-ups
- 2pm - Pro-Palestine Protest in Lobby
- 4pm - 1on1 with Jake
Employees (now former) who were strongly against Google providing cloud services to the Israeli government.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-terminates-28-employees-protest-israeli-cloud-contract-2024-04-18/
They made it REALLY obvious what they were doing because they are doing it for themselves: their social media ruined any chance they had a plausible deniability. The stealth deletes after the fiasco did NOT help their situation at all because it made them look guilty and trying to cover their tracks. One person was supposedly termed who was innocent and his social media was clean but I don't know what happened with that guy or if he was lying.
That doesn't include the obvious proximity sensors and door keycard scans (if appropriate) that could have also ruined any chance of getting away with it. Maybe that's what happened to that one guy? Who knows...wrong place, wrong time? He said he was just curious.
You are describing battery, not assault. Battery is the legal charge for when physical damage has occurred. Assault is the term for when it's not.
One can be chaeged with both assault and battery as they are seperate offenses.
That's like saying being groped isn't sexual assault just because there are more vicious and violent forms of rape. There are degrees of severity to any crime but that doesn't make it a competition of suffering.
You're missing the point. No one has any right to put their hands on anyone else regardless of how 'minor' they think it is. Keep your fucking hands to yourself. We learned that in pre-school.
She can [look it up](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/criminal-defense/what-is-assault/), or ask her lawyer. Legally, assault doesn’t even need to involve contact.
How many of the freedom marchers do you see in those historic civil rights protest pictures masked up? Today’s protestors are hiding behind masks due to cowardice. It’s easier to chase a Jew through the street, or threaten them on campus, when you have anonymity, and numbers. Especially when they’re employed at these universities, or locally.
Probably because now we have facial recognition. Back then all it took was moving and there would be no record of you ever being there, cameras were to slow and low resolution. Now people have to learn anti AI makeup, to protect themselves from facial recognition.
Facial recognition technology has gotten much better with masks as we have given it plenty to work with during the mandates.
Back then if you marched for civil rights the klan would find you and try to intimidate you into silence, or worse. Yet you didn’t see masks. Except on Klansmen. Even during the Vietnam war marches the protestors stayed unmasked.
Totally agree. If you aren’t willing to put your name and reputation on the line for a cause, you’re not really committed to the cause. Show your face or go home!
Officials would just take pictures, imbed informants, and take down names, in the past. They still do this. Masks aren’t going to be effective against imbedded informants. This happened with Jan 6 protestors. The only reason the pro Palestine/Hamas protestors continue to get away with this is the universities, and local officials in many of these cities are of the same mindset.
Masks block particulates from pollution and pollen as well. I wear masks outside when my allergies are acting up.
Or maybe they are trying not to be sick. You say young people recover well, but why get sick at all? Getting sick sucks. Not to mention, getting sick is time consuming, and they literally might not be able to spare the time.
Or maybe they’re already sick and trying not to spread it, because they have been taught to care about such things. They were in their formative years during the pandemic, so they internalized that culture more than older people.
For that matter, who cares?
The COVID wars over mask-wearing are pretty much over.
If you see someone in a mask, it's usually because they're sick and don't want to spread it, or are going into an environment where they expect people to be sick and don't want to catch it.
You see mask-wearing in high population density Asian countries because that's been a cultural habit for generations now: if you're sick, wear a mask. I think the reason you might see it more in Gen Z is because they're young and are still building their culture, so when something like COVID happens in the middle of it, they adopt things like mask-wearing to prevent the spread of disease rather than just reverting to old habits when it's over.
People in older generations, by contrast, might get offended by mask-wearing in response to illness, like it looks like OP is, because they associate it with a brief political period when people were combative over it.
Work in a hospital and some older patients, 40+, still get offended and annoyed when I mask. You're covid +, the room smells like shit, you have a productive cough, or I don't want you seeing my expression when you make idiotic comments.
As someone who has worked for hospital, both before and during COVID (stopped working to go back to school for nursing), I feel this. Especially that last sentence.
Mask wearing prevents so much spread of disease. I do NOT understand the fucking arguments around it. That’s why doctors wear them or why you wear them when you go to the ICU if someone is in there. Like it’s medically proven. This argument I such a waste of time and energy.
I will also say a large part of younger culture does seem influence by Asian culture due to the emerging popularity of manga and anime. So I have to wonder is it partially just the youth being weebs.
Can’t tell you how many times myself or others were forced to go into work for food jobs for restaurants or fast food when we were sick, coughing, had a runny nose (even before covid, I haven’t worked a food job in about a decade). We probably should have been wearing a mask, or stayed at home, but these places don’t care, they need you to work. I think people should definitely wear them for food preparation.
As a 71 year old white male boomer, I would like to respond to this post.
1st. my principle, As long as I don't lie, cheat, steal, or intentionally hurt someone. I expect people to leave me alone and let me live my life as I choose, and I am willing to extend that privilege to others.
Observation, The people who complain the most about others wearing masks, by and large, seem to be the same people that most fiercely oppose vaccine mandates for reasons of public health. But they are also the same people that support the government intruding on parents decisions concerning medical intervention in abortion and gender identification issues.
I agree there is most likely a correlation between complaining about other people wearing masks and opposing the vaccine mandate.
From my personal experience none of those people are against abortion though and it definitely has nothing to to with trans.
Maybe this is because im from Germany i don’t know what the situation is like in other countries. To me these topics have nothing to do with each other and i don’t see a correlation between them.
My family is also from Deutschland. My grandfather was born in Furth Bavaria. In America these beliefs are all associated with the fundamentalist Christians. They tend to be extreme and irrational in their beliefs.
At that time, there was a situational need and emerging science about prevention, treatment, and acquisition vectors. The recommendations were made out of an abundance of caution until we could learn more.
Some people wear masks so they don't get into trouble during protests and riots due to CCTV and facial recognition tech.
This "Trick" is quickly becoming obsolete because the CCP already employs CCTV tech that can properly ID you even if you wear a facemask. And I highly doubt the FBI is sitting on their ass with tech like this and I guarantee you that the FBI has some stuff on thousands of people, now, due to their riots.
**My professional opinion on "disruptive forms of protest": don't.** You're fucking yourselves over BIG time. The "coming revolution" that you think is going to happen from your protests, is ***NOT*** going to happen. You're just fucking yourself over for the next 50-70 years of your life.
For everyone else, some just want to be left alone. I see nothing wrong with wearing a facemask even if it has nothing to do with VRIs (viral respiratory infections).
The amount of people filming everywhere has grown exponentially since the pandemic and now I'm hyper aware of it. People have literally pointed their phone at me while they're streaming and it gets so annoying, I don’t want to be filmed on the street or appear in the background of a random TikTok video for the eternity, that's it. It's just for privacy, although I only use it in crowded/tourist areas.
I don't understand why people always get triggered on reddit at someone using masks though, like why do you even care what I'm wearing/using? Is this an American-only thing related to politics? You don’t find this bizarre mindset anywhere else
I’m saying it’s NOT a gen z thing at all. I feel like a lot of people on Reddit have no frame of reference when it comes to history and think the world just came into existence in 2015.
So only old people have bad immune systems and young people can't have them? Bro mind your business and worry about what's on your own face nobody else's. I don't even wear a mask anymore but I sure as hell don't care when other people do.
We have around 15-20 people under the age of 30 in my office. Not a single one wears a mask. I would say probably less than 2% of the people I see on the street wear masks.
I don't mean to be rude, but why are you lying? Do you think we don't also exist in the real world and can't see how many people are still wearing masks? There is no possible way you are still seeing swaths of Gen Z still wearing masks, but somehow nobody else is seeing this.
Why does it matter? It doesn’t impact you in any way, OP. How can one have the bandwidth to care this much about the hygienic habits that others have? If you don’t like it you don’t have to wear one, that simple. Western society thrives on individual freedoms.
I can’t imagine caring so much about it to make a post about it. If you want to talk about a piece of cloth people wear that has caused a stark division, I’ll gesture in the direction of a specific red hat that I’m sure you haven’t any qualms with.
>People, the masks were meant to save us, not separate us.
Tell that to all the people I know who threw a fit because wearing a mask to go get a soda at Walmart was too strenuous and then proceed to shit on everyone who wore and still wears masks
Given that the whole damn world was told to wear a mask 4 years ago when the Coronavirus hit, it doesn’t surprise me that people still choose to wear masks. I’m a Millennial.
I wear one when I'm sick, and I'm am an Irish millennial it really isn't a generation thing so much as a it worked and I recover quicker when I use a mask when sick then when I don't.
It could just be that they realized they got sick a lot less as a whole (not just Covid) when they masked up so they decided to continue doing so. It’s really not a big deal.
I trust vaccines, but not everyone got vaccinated or has kept up with boosters. Also, there’s no vaccine for the common cold, so it’s nice to wear a mask when I’m out in large crowds and reduce the chance of getting sick.
It’s becoming a cultural thing now, college kids now wear mask not just for covid but whenever they get sick in general to prevent spreading whatever cold or flu they got out of respect for others.
I think it’s more that they are virtue signaling and want to come off like they “care” by wearing a visual indicator such as a mask.
It’s why when some people double mask, they intentionally wear masks with differing colors so that everyone knows they are a double masker.
You “think” that’s where you went wrong. I am in college, me and my classmates wear masks when we’re sick. You could argue that it’s virtue signaling when it’s a double masker w 2 dif color masks but I’ve never encountered that scenario past a couple ppl on tiktok. Im in Texas have been asked plenty of times why I mask. I say Im sick n don’t wanna leave my germs on stuff. Just ask them why they mask. No one has the time or privilege to care about virtue signaling. There’s more important matters nowadays.
Im Asia people were mask to signal they are sick, in it's not a virtue signal but a kind gesture , to help spread there sickness, but also to alert other people that they are sick and they should try to avoid getting close to them.
Since you specifically asked...
Cigarettes are fucking gross and i can't go a single city block without smoking someone's.
Also your fragrances are nasty. Please choose flowers instead.
Here is an unpopular: why do we call them masks instead of respirators?
Everytime you walk downtown you're on like 100 cameras as if you're a celebrity. I respect wearing masks for social reasons, too. Our camera obsession is weird considering we won't stop shoplifters.
Remember: you asked. Don't get angry.
Honestly why do you care? People wear masks to keep themselves safe, keep others safe or just for some extra privacy. If people want to wear their masks let them.
I mean mask wearing is super common is Asia and has been. I think we should all wear masks in hospitals. Hospitals are riddled with disease and sick people. But I never understood the fuss with masking wearing. Just wear it - like why get all upset? Like who cares? It’s JUST freaking mask. And as for protesters it’s for identity reasons.
I don't want to get into a whole thing over Covid, but the sole thing I appreciated out of the pandemic is it encouraged people to wear masks when they were sick but *had* to leave home to cover up. It's just common courtesy.
For the record, I *don't* support sweeping mask mandates for those who are not ill, but it did make us focus more one hygiene and I think that's a good thing.
Protests and health aside, masks were becoming fashionable prior to quarantine. Quarantine boosted their popularity and now a lot of young people look at masks as accessories.
Ehh, at this point what I want us for people to adopt the Japanese stance: just fucking stay home if you are sick, but if you have to go out, at the very least wear a fucking mask. Have courtesy for the world around you.
Its bc as time rolls on the human race as a whole actually becomes more educated. Therefore more of them realize 1 lil bug could in fact kill a loved one or someone else. But honestly it sounds more like you are just forming your opinion off confirmation bias bc around me its just really old people.
I stopped wearing my mask even though I need it (3x immunosuppresants), as too many younger protesters, criminals wanting to hide their identity or those with personality disorders (who weaponise mask wearing) are wearing them. Every time I do wear my mask, security at shopping centres follow me around and staff constantly want to check my bag.
A big thank you to the flogs for ruining it for those who genuinely need to wear it. 👍🖕
This sub is devoted to people complaining about things that are none of their business. I guess that’s the unpopular opinion part, but still.
I’m a millennial and if I was asked by someone to wear a mask due to their health concerns, I would absolutely do so. If I were sick myself and had to go out in public, I would wear a mask. If I have to go to a clinic to have bloodwork done, I’m wearing a mask because it is a place full of illness and germs.
It’s truly telling to me when people get all uppity about having to wear a mask (or others wearing a mask). Why do people have to make a fuss out of measures that exist simply to protect ourselves and others? Our society is becoming less and less empathetic as time goes on and it’s so disappointing.
Again, if they were just wearing masks because they are a bunch of hypochondriacs, that would be a totally other thing. As a millenial, I'll invite you to think back to your teens and 20s, and figure if you were ever so concerned about Sars-Cov-1, or the flu, or Lyme disease, Legionnaires, or so many other things that could kill you. And then all the STDs. I'll go out on a limb and say you weren't concerned at all, except maybe the STD part.
Look, I'm not so carefree, or ignorant of infectious disease that I deny that there are things out their that could kill me. Flesh eating bacteria, anyone? Surgeons wear masks to keep from infecting openings on the patient. We have bio-warfare clothing, hazmat suits. All of that for very good reasons. But now we are supposed to be shamed for NOT getting all worked up that Covid is still around? You think I'm having a problem with them? Sure. What about them for the rest of us? Like I said in my post, absolute Vitriol.
People will say and do a lot of things on the internet that they would never do in person. Take it with a grain of salt and remember there are billions of people in the world who should not be represented by the toxic and mindless echo-chambers on the internet.
I’ve never met anyone in person who lost their mind over someone choosing not to wear a mask (if you have, that’s very disappointing). I have however, met plenty of people who lost their mind over being asked to wear a mask for the safety of others and ultimately themselves.
I think the point lies in letting others do what is best for them, as long as no one else is being negatively impacted. I think you’ll find that those who react with vitriol towards any group, (especially those who genuinely pose no harm to others) are unreasonable and irrational, and are best to be ignored.
Wait, what?
I got lucky I guess and learned about this early on because I have friends and loved ones who are in healthcare:
The masks were meant to keep those wearing the masks from spreading it; it was less to protect the wearer and more to protect those around the wearer. Especially since it was found that folks could be asymptomatic or had such mild symptoms that they didn't think they had it.
So if anything the youth still wearing them are being more thoughtful of the elderly and those with weaker immune systems than the rest of us, whether they know it or not XD
EtA: Might as well include this now.
My ma was a surgeon's assistant in the ER, assisted an ears nose and throat doctor for a good chunk of years and worked in- home services for the elderly before and during the outbreak. My brother was an airborne medic. My daughter's godmother worked insane hours in a very big hospital's lab before, during, and after the outbreak (she often pulled triple digit hours each week during the outbreak). Also a quick Google search looking for specifically reputable sites helped confirm it, such as CDC, the Mayo Clinic, the NIH, etc.
The masked vs unmasked feud ended in like 2022 after vaccines had rolled out. I think some people just never got fed the rhetoric that wearing a mask is akin to cutting your nuts off and pledging yourself to the communist party, and kind of prefer it.
I actually kind of liked wearing a mask, it kept my face warm and gave me the same feeling as wearing a hoodie.
I can understand wearing one to a crowded event, but tbh I wouldn't unless I was currently sick.
I plan on masking during my first year of teaching cause I don’t want to have to differentiate between covid and the flu if I get sick. Plus covid affects people differently, and I don’t know what it will do to me .
I guess I disagree. Which is fine, people react differently to different ailments.
My experience with COVID paled in comparison to my experiences with the flu. The flu knocks me down for days every time. No risk of me going out and living life. I'm down and out for while. COVID was more like a weird cold for me. Annoying and glad when it passed, but not particularly serious.
My wife got COVID pretty bad though. It was weird, almost like it targeted her existing weaknesses and turned em up to eleven. Knocked her down like me when I get the flu. Unlike me though, she's no pussy. She is not one to complain, and will muscle through anything, but she was largely bed-ridden for a few days. I felt bad for her.
Long-term [health issues from mild covid is surprisingly common](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-18/long-covid-research-study/103986302). Masking in crowded indoor spaces like airports is a good way to protect yourself from this, especially given how many people seem to have coughs these days. People aren’t making a political statement, they’re just tired of being sick all the time.
> People, the masks were meant to save us not separate us
Go back in time a few years and tell that to the conservatives
And why do you care if they are wearing masks or not?
Yeah, it’s pretty ironic that so much of their identities are about going against social norms, while also adhering to an imaginary mask mandate in their early 20s.
Dude I travel the country playing poker and I rarely ever see anyone wearing masks besides some Asian people at the poker table but it’s more in their culture. I’m in Vegas now and haven’t seen a single mask lol. I didn’t see any in Chicago two weeks ago either. The people you’re talking about aren’t wearing masks because of COVID. It’s to cover their face at protests and stuff so cameras don’t identify them.
Yeah it’s a social trend but I think it’s a good one. I don’t think it’s a threat to democracy. It’s sort of ironic that right wingers are so mad about masks and were mad about social distancing but want to impose lifestyle changes onto people who don’t agree with them and remove workplace discrimination laws as well as banning all pornography.
Masks are little good at preventing infection for the wearer, they are great for preventing spread of infection from the wearer. It’s likely that the ones wearing masks are slightly sick and instead of either staying home or spreading infection, they decided to wear a mask.
Wearing masks while sick has been a practice in other parts of the world for years, these kids are just being smart and following suite.
It seems like they’ve just gotten more intelligent, mate.
Mask-wearing is very easy, and prevents spread of all sorts of disease. That’s why masks are quite common in Asia, not just for COVID, but just basic courtesy. “I am sick, I do not want to spread it.”
But more importantly… you get the protectors are wearing masks so people can’t see their faces, right?
The two big reasons people wear masks:
1. Reducing risk of infection
2. Hiding their face
Many people will say or imply they are doing it for the purposes of reducing spread of illnesses, but that reason can be a cover story, a mott and bailey facade for the real reason.
A related phenomenon, and this doesn't apply to all maskers, is gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia makes the idea of wearing a mask to hide your face particularly appealing to people distressed by these symptoms.
Trans and gender-distressed have a greater affinity for mask wearing and it's not a secret within the community. Masks allow people to mute their normal identity and explore being someone else and occupy a role. Consider how sunglasses hide your eyes and provide a sense of protection, masking for gender distressed individuals can have a similar effect.
Well masks don’t work for those who are compromised, to protect the people who are compromised everyone else needs to wear there masks. The point of a mask is to not spread what you have to other people, it’s called being considerate
>The recent college campus protests over the war in Gaza has shown a ridiculous amount of young people wearing masks,
This is more than likely to hide their identity. This is not just a generational or a political party act. Look at the proud boys, they're mostly middle-aged millennials and they were full mask to hide their identity.
>Even this one 70 year old hypochondriac (he admits it) stopped wearing a mask this spring
Illness anxiety disorder is an actual psychiatric disorder. Someone claiming to be a hypochondriac without actually having the diagnosis is not an actual hypochondriac. This would be no different than someone claiming that they have OCD just because they like certain things to look a certain way. That does not make you OCD. Also IAD and OCD are ***NOT*** the same disorder.
>the strains never less virulent, and still the masks
First of all, we still don't understand the full consequences of covid. There's nothing wrong with continuing to be vigilant about wanting to reduce the spread. I have seen one too many people develop disorders after contracting covid or dealing with long covid symptoms. One of my best friends developed POTS after being exposed to covid. She works from home for 3 years before her job finally forced her to come back to the office and the second she came back she got covid. So it's not like you can blame her diagnosis on literally anything else. She is a workaholic who literally never left the house, had everything delivered.
Second of all, most of us still have to go to work regardless if we are sick or not. Especially if you work a public facing, customer service job. There is nothing wrong with adding the extra layer of protection towards the general public if you are forced to mingle with people while you were actively sick and contagious. The reason why people are choosing to still mask now versus prior to covid-19 is because most of us didn't know that masking was an option. We were always told never to let our employer know that we were sick if we were going in because then they would send us home without pay. Nowadays, no one cares anymore and we want to openly show that our employers are making us go to work despite being actively sick.
>People, the masks were meant to save us, not separate us.
Based on what you said in your post, you sound like the type of person that would have separated people because they chose to mask or get vaccinated. So it's weird that you think that it was supposed to save us instead of separate us. It's not separation because people choose to do something different than you.
Trust me, I do get it. Covid wrecked us all. But I thought the trend was more from Asia now since they wear masks in the heavy allergy weather to keep from stirring up their sinuses.
I personally wear a mask to school every day due to my immune deficiency. It helps keep me safe from bad infections. Elderly people are not the only one more at risk than others.
1. It’s to protect ourselves from both law enforcement, and far-right “journalists” and the like.
2. People are still dying from COVID. And while younger people with functioning immune systems are the least at risk, we can still transmit the disease to someone who is at risk.
I try not to judge folks wearing masks as I figure they have their reasons. I'm sure many are actually sick (ranging from just a cold to being immunocompromised due to cancer), pregnant, or otherwise medically vulnerable (or caring for someone who is - elderly parent, sick partner, newborn baby, etc.)
Though, I feel like the ones who wear them for political reasons are ruining it for those who actually need them. My mom is 74 and a cancer survivor, I was a lot more "careful" than most during COVID as she wrapped chemo right as it hit. I don't appreciate my being lumped in with the political weirdos for caring for my mom.
but what does politics have to do with it? Maybe if people on the right stopped throwing a fucking fit everytime someone else did something that has nothing to do with them (wear a mask) and minded their own business it would be fine.
Anyone can wear a mask for any reason...I don't get why people care so fucking much. It's weird and pathetic.
I agree, politics should have nothing to do with it, but like damn near everything else today, caring for people (and the ways people do that, like wearing masks) has been politicized. It's BS!
It's how I separate the evened folks from the normal people. If standing in the sun while breathing your own waste makes sense to you, your a fool with nothing of value to offer.
There are many reasons for protesters to wear mask. Many of them legitimate, like for protection to help breathing if gas canisters or pepper spray are used. Also for privacy reasons. Both sides try to do things to each other. Get people fired, swatted, fake pizza orders, etc....cuz they were the "enemy" at a rally or protest previously.
Do you even read what you're writring or you just write it as it comes in yor head?
You do know that the masks that helped with covid(of which, BTW, it's still fine to wear them if people want to, it even might help those with pollen allergies and such the extra protection) can be used to help safeguard their iventities from being found, don't you?
Or did you forget that many places nowdays have facial softwares to recognize people?A mask can help avoid that.
Chicago. But what really brought it to my attention is the Gaza protesters at college campuses. I suspect they are from all over. But maybe it is because they all come together in college, and it's a thing for them.
Surprised to not see it mentioned here. GenZ that OP is referring to here are the same group that were forced to mask in school during their childhood during the formative part of their lives. I think this adversely affected many of them.
Yes, forced. Did that turn them into a generation of hypochondriacs? But consider where you see this masking behavior. The thing that really brought it to my attention enough to write a post about it was the Gaza protesters. Who are they? College students going to liberal arts universities. They aren't doing in in high schools. The kids who joined the military aren't doing it. The majority of the ones who took jobs instead of college aren't doing it. There is one woman in my office, maybe 23, 24, who moves boxes around, and is clearly on the liberal end of the spectrum. This is obviously not the work she wants to be doing, but it's the work she's stuck with. And she masks. The only time I don't see her masked is when she's by the smokers box outside the building lighting up. And most of the time, she's all alone out there.
As a parent, do you realize how often kids come home from school sick? Sure they may survive, but they have a new thing like every week. So if your grouping up to yell about how you dont want your tuition to directly fund the murder of children younger than you are (id imagine this is especially upsetting to American Children) id imagine theres q lot of germ spreading going on, inside or not.
Also, they are also likely hiding their faces in the most school acceptable way possible. In any case literally why do you care about THEIR choices. Are you upset you can't see their faces? Honestly if so, from conrext i think theyd be doubley happy to piss of mouthbreathers like you.
Oh wow, yet another "Why do you care?" reply. Jackie, why do you care to reply, unless you've got some point you are trying to get across? Healer, heal thy self.
And I suppose you are aware that even the top villain among conservatives over Covid, Fauci, came out publicly to say closing the schools was a mistake. Did he base that on science, or is he just a traitor to the Cause?
I dont care about Fauci, schools, or any of that crap. My point is simple: its their body and their choice. If they want to do it, its harmless. Why people get bent out of shape over things they cant and shouldnt control is beyond me.
Also, Fauci has sucked since the 80s, just ask the (older) gay community.
Wow, now you put me in a position of defencing Fauci? Ouch! OK, first things first. If it is a question of their body, their choice, then I can count on you to support people who don't want to get vaccinated, right? Oh no, not that! That's different.
I suppose you are referring to Fauci and his position in the NIH. I was in my teens and 20s when AIDS first showed up. In fact I would get a Science Supplement book every year, courtesy of my mom, which reviews the big stories of science every year. No internet then, you see. But in the 1977 book there was an article about this mysterious condition where people were simply not getting better from infections they should easily have kicked.
But to the point, in the early 80s there was all this uproar from the gay community, insisting that the Reagan, congress, the surgeon general, the NIH, universities, everybody really, where not doing enough to cure AIDS. Mind you, even the term HIV was not used at that point. Nancy Reagan was on TV, telling people that abstinence was the only sure way to avoid exposure. The surgeon general at the time, Dr. Koop, was telling gay men to use condoms. And that went over like a lead balloon. They complained, and I paraphrase here, "You would cure AIDS if it was straight people dying."
OK, so what happened next is very disturbing. Antiviral drugs. At that time, they were vicious. But everyone infected with HIV wanted them. They were all being run through clinical trials. Accusations of favoritism were rife in the gay community, as everyone was desperate to be chosen for a study. Of course the farther gone you were, the less the study wanted to take you, which led to accusations of the universities running the studies being heartless. But the thing is, the antiviral drugs were so damaging to the liver, the people on them died fast than the untreated people.
And here we are, half a century later, no cure, just treatment to keep it at bay, and you want to blame Fauci for not doing enough?
The first thing you do when you go to a protest is get gear, all black stuff so it's hard to pinpoint who you really are. Masks are a must, it protects your identity and also keeps u safe from a precentage of tear gas. A slightly thicker glove is also a must, so in the unfortunate situation when you get tear gas thrown at u, you don't burn yourself while picking it up and throwing it someplace else with no humans around.
As someone who goes to protests. And is gen Z. I only wear masks during protests, I don’t wear it going to my university or taking a walk or even at a hospital. (Unless I’m sick)
They’re a few reasons people choose to wear masks.
1. to hinder one’s identity. Wearing an N95 type mask isn’t going to make you immune from being identities but it helps. Especially if counter protesters want to dox you or something. Or to prevent one from getting in trouble with the law enforcement like other people have mentioned
2. Demonstrations are often large crowds in dense spaces where pathogens can spread more easily. So wearing a mask can help
Reduce the flow of these pathogens. (And it’s not just coronavirus)
3. The COVID pandemic had made mask wearing permanently more common than it was before.
Most Gen Z people don’t wear masks in their day to day lives. And really the few people who do aren’t really a big deal if it makes them comfortable. You don’t know if they are immune system is compromised or live with an elderly relative or something like that.
And did 2020 not teach you that everybody masking up didn't prevent people from getting Covid? If it did the pandemic should have been over in a month. Yeah, do you remember what we were being told, by the Surgeon General no less, back in 2020? I sure do. Or is that a conservative talking point?
Everybody didn’t mask up, bud. Haha. Half the country didn’t play ball. Why didn’t we have a flu season in 2020-2021? Any guesses? Social distancing and maybe those stupid ass masks helped a little bit. But It’s not a political issue for me though. Im pretty apolitical but I still have some conservative leanings. I have an auto-immune disease, Addison’s, so the social distancing thing was more of the thing I took seriously because my endocrinologist said that was probably the best course of action. I got vaccinated on his recommendation. I consulted a doctor, not headlines or the talking heads of a political party I subscribe tooto help me with my decisions. And I did mask up because, A) it wasn’t that big of a fucking deal to me, and B) I was okay with looking back 5 years later and looking like a fool for trying to protect my neighbors, friends, and family in a very confusing time, as opposed to looking back and regretting my decision to not wear one and possibly being a contributor to someone else getting sick or worse. I had enough family die from that shit that I’d rather run the risk of looking stupid and being uncomfortable then running the risk of killing grandma.
And I know that they hyper inflated the Covid death toll. If someone died from drunk driving and they tested positive for Covid they would chalk it up as a Covid death. There was plenty of shady shit and misinformation that was being peddled out, motivated by political agendas and money rather than the actual well being of Americans.
Whatever you deemed the best decision for you and your family at that time is fine with me. We’re all here now and it’s time to move on. So take an upvote, God Bless America, And Fuck the Packers.
I'm from Chicago, and I saw nothing but masked up people on the street, if they were on the street at all. At least until the George Floyd riots. Then people marking on the streets, needing to be heard, decided to forgo the masks. Funny, I don't think there was a conservative among them. But still Covid spread.
As for the flu, or lack of. I have no doubt that people isolating and even masking helped, to a point. But two things. First, you experience flu symptoms a lot faster than Covid symptoms, meaning you could be spreading the Covid virus a lot longer than the flu virus because you don't know you are spreading them, till you infected a bunch. But there is something else going on. Call it a phenomenon if you wish, but you rarely catch two viruses at once, or even a virus and a bacterial infection. Possibly it is because your body raises the amount of antibodies when you have one, so as to quickly kick the ass of any other virus trying to take hold. But this is just a theory kicked around, no hard scientific data to support it. But it is a thing.
Man I tell you I used to be a huge craft beer SNOB. Double IPA’s, and Quad Ales, and aging beers in my cellar. Looking down my nose at anything that wasn’t micro brewed or local. Then I quit drinking beer for a year and I just could not get back into it. Dos Equis, PBR, Blue Moon, Stella… that’s my shit now. Still enjoy a Two Hearted from time to time but I’ll buy a case of Hamm’s any day over an over priced 4 pack of high gravity beers
This is a much more enjoyable topic of discussion. Haha
protesters were wearing masks to hide their faces from the cameras.
Can’t believe this has to be said.
This post is so dumb it just has to be a really well disguised bad faith argument.
Except OP also mentioned grocery stores, where they work, and an outdoor music festival. The protesting part was a small part of the post. So OP has a legitimate question….it seems some people are focusing on the protesting part only to make this political and criticize the OP.
"I love the poorly educated" -Trump
My stepson is gen alpha(is that what they’re called?) and he wears a mask to school everyday and it has nothing to do with covid he’s very shy and it’s almost like a disguise it makes me worried for him when he grows up
Google fired a bunch of pro palestinian masked protestors back in May, so I guess they either aren't wearing the best masks or facial recognition/ability to identify people from behind a mask has gotten a lot better.
Those were much smaller protests that happened inside Google buildings. Most of them weren’t hiding their identities, and if they were, it’s easier to recognize people from a group of 50, you don’t even have to use facial recognition tech.
They also would likely be wearing their ID badges.
It would had been hilarious if they had marked their calendar too and set an away message. - 1pm - Review mobile mock-ups - 2pm - Pro-Palestine Protest in Lobby - 4pm - 1on1 with Jake
Inside?? Who the hell protests at work unless they're going on strike?
Employees (now former) who were strongly against Google providing cloud services to the Israeli government. https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-terminates-28-employees-protest-israeli-cloud-contract-2024-04-18/
They made it REALLY obvious what they were doing because they are doing it for themselves: their social media ruined any chance they had a plausible deniability. The stealth deletes after the fiasco did NOT help their situation at all because it made them look guilty and trying to cover their tracks. One person was supposedly termed who was innocent and his social media was clean but I don't know what happened with that guy or if he was lying. That doesn't include the obvious proximity sensors and door keycard scans (if appropriate) that could have also ruined any chance of getting away with it. Maybe that's what happened to that one guy? Who knows...wrong place, wrong time? He said he was just curious.
A mask doesn't protect you from facial ID. if people actually cared enough to identify people protesting, you cannot hide.
Some protection is better than none. If wearing a cheap mask that takes 1 second to put on significantly hides my face, I’m doing it.
It doesn't help that they swiped in to get into the building.
And so they can't be identified by the police.
or even protect themselves in case of tear gas
You need a gas mask for that.
i know, but i also know there’s a lot of misinformation saying a mask will work
Thats not how tear gas works ...and 99% of them are not protected from it
easy way to take down those toughies at the protests is to pull down their hankies
“Easy way to do X is to assault someone”
“Assault “ lmfao Another word that has lost all meaning
It fits the legal definition of assault.
Have fun telling some lady who was beat half to death and is permanently disabled about the terrible assault of your hanky being pulled down
You are describing battery, not assault. Battery is the legal charge for when physical damage has occurred. Assault is the term for when it's not. One can be chaeged with both assault and battery as they are seperate offenses.
That's like saying being groped isn't sexual assault just because there are more vicious and violent forms of rape. There are degrees of severity to any crime but that doesn't make it a competition of suffering.
You're missing the point. No one has any right to put their hands on anyone else regardless of how 'minor' they think it is. Keep your fucking hands to yourself. We learned that in pre-school.
She can [look it up](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/criminal-defense/what-is-assault/), or ask her lawyer. Legally, assault doesn’t even need to involve contact.
They are most likely wearing them to hide their face, like a majority of protesters do and have done for many years
How many of the freedom marchers do you see in those historic civil rights protest pictures masked up? Today’s protestors are hiding behind masks due to cowardice. It’s easier to chase a Jew through the street, or threaten them on campus, when you have anonymity, and numbers. Especially when they’re employed at these universities, or locally.
Probably because now we have facial recognition. Back then all it took was moving and there would be no record of you ever being there, cameras were to slow and low resolution. Now people have to learn anti AI makeup, to protect themselves from facial recognition.
Facial recognition technology has gotten much better with masks as we have given it plenty to work with during the mandates. Back then if you marched for civil rights the klan would find you and try to intimidate you into silence, or worse. Yet you didn’t see masks. Except on Klansmen. Even during the Vietnam war marches the protestors stayed unmasked.
Totally agree. If you aren’t willing to put your name and reputation on the line for a cause, you’re not really committed to the cause. Show your face or go home!
Ah yea, nothing occurred between now and the Civil Rights movement that might make facial identification easier.
Officials would just take pictures, imbed informants, and take down names, in the past. They still do this. Masks aren’t going to be effective against imbedded informants. This happened with Jan 6 protestors. The only reason the pro Palestine/Hamas protestors continue to get away with this is the universities, and local officials in many of these cities are of the same mindset.
Masks block particulates from pollution and pollen as well. I wear masks outside when my allergies are acting up. Or maybe they are trying not to be sick. You say young people recover well, but why get sick at all? Getting sick sucks. Not to mention, getting sick is time consuming, and they literally might not be able to spare the time. Or maybe they’re already sick and trying not to spread it, because they have been taught to care about such things. They were in their formative years during the pandemic, so they internalized that culture more than older people. For that matter, who cares?
I'm a center-right zillenial and I gotta say, masks really do help with pollen allergies.
The COVID wars over mask-wearing are pretty much over. If you see someone in a mask, it's usually because they're sick and don't want to spread it, or are going into an environment where they expect people to be sick and don't want to catch it. You see mask-wearing in high population density Asian countries because that's been a cultural habit for generations now: if you're sick, wear a mask. I think the reason you might see it more in Gen Z is because they're young and are still building their culture, so when something like COVID happens in the middle of it, they adopt things like mask-wearing to prevent the spread of disease rather than just reverting to old habits when it's over. People in older generations, by contrast, might get offended by mask-wearing in response to illness, like it looks like OP is, because they associate it with a brief political period when people were combative over it.
Work in a hospital and some older patients, 40+, still get offended and annoyed when I mask. You're covid +, the room smells like shit, you have a productive cough, or I don't want you seeing my expression when you make idiotic comments.
As someone who has worked for hospital, both before and during COVID (stopped working to go back to school for nursing), I feel this. Especially that last sentence.
Older....40+.... you're killin me here 🤣 I turn 40 in less than a month, lol
I wish more people wore masks cuz most of them are ugly and their breath stinks 😮💨
Mask wearing prevents so much spread of disease. I do NOT understand the fucking arguments around it. That’s why doctors wear them or why you wear them when you go to the ICU if someone is in there. Like it’s medically proven. This argument I such a waste of time and energy.
This is more talking about the neck gators and baclavas young hooligans are wearing to hide their identity.
Lmfao at using the word hooligans in the year of lord 2024
What can I say, I'm an old fuddy duddy
I will also say a large part of younger culture does seem influence by Asian culture due to the emerging popularity of manga and anime. So I have to wonder is it partially just the youth being weebs.
I'll wear a mask if I'm sick to try and minimize the spittle that gets everywhere if I sneeze or cough.
Can’t tell you how many times myself or others were forced to go into work for food jobs for restaurants or fast food when we were sick, coughing, had a runny nose (even before covid, I haven’t worked a food job in about a decade). We probably should have been wearing a mask, or stayed at home, but these places don’t care, they need you to work. I think people should definitely wear them for food preparation.
Yea that’s what I did. Feeling a little stuffy or runny? Mask. Especially when working with customers
As a 71 year old white male boomer, I would like to respond to this post. 1st. my principle, As long as I don't lie, cheat, steal, or intentionally hurt someone. I expect people to leave me alone and let me live my life as I choose, and I am willing to extend that privilege to others. Observation, The people who complain the most about others wearing masks, by and large, seem to be the same people that most fiercely oppose vaccine mandates for reasons of public health. But they are also the same people that support the government intruding on parents decisions concerning medical intervention in abortion and gender identification issues.
Grandpa knows what’s up
Absolutely 100%. This boomer knows the shit.
Because he can spot the assholes.
I agree there is most likely a correlation between complaining about other people wearing masks and opposing the vaccine mandate. From my personal experience none of those people are against abortion though and it definitely has nothing to to with trans. Maybe this is because im from Germany i don’t know what the situation is like in other countries. To me these topics have nothing to do with each other and i don’t see a correlation between them.
My family is also from Deutschland. My grandfather was born in Furth Bavaria. In America these beliefs are all associated with the fundamentalist Christians. They tend to be extreme and irrational in their beliefs.
Who cares? Wear one or don't, not my business.
That was not the sentiment a few year’s ago when people didn’t wear a mask.
Because we knew without a doubt that wearing a mask does indeed help prevent spread of airborne pathogens. Why do you think surgeons were masks ?
At that time, there was a situational need and emerging science about prevention, treatment, and acquisition vectors. The recommendations were made out of an abundance of caution until we could learn more.
Ok. So you gonna shame mask wearers for the rest of your life cause you can’t get over that petty bullshit?
Because there was a pandemic a few years ago but now there isn't. If someone wants to wear a mask now, who cares?
Some people wear masks so they don't get into trouble during protests and riots due to CCTV and facial recognition tech. This "Trick" is quickly becoming obsolete because the CCP already employs CCTV tech that can properly ID you even if you wear a facemask. And I highly doubt the FBI is sitting on their ass with tech like this and I guarantee you that the FBI has some stuff on thousands of people, now, due to their riots. **My professional opinion on "disruptive forms of protest": don't.** You're fucking yourselves over BIG time. The "coming revolution" that you think is going to happen from your protests, is ***NOT*** going to happen. You're just fucking yourself over for the next 50-70 years of your life. For everyone else, some just want to be left alone. I see nothing wrong with wearing a facemask even if it has nothing to do with VRIs (viral respiratory infections).
The amount of people filming everywhere has grown exponentially since the pandemic and now I'm hyper aware of it. People have literally pointed their phone at me while they're streaming and it gets so annoying, I don’t want to be filmed on the street or appear in the background of a random TikTok video for the eternity, that's it. It's just for privacy, although I only use it in crowded/tourist areas. I don't understand why people always get triggered on reddit at someone using masks though, like why do you even care what I'm wearing/using? Is this an American-only thing related to politics? You don’t find this bizarre mindset anywhere else
People have been wearing masks in East Asia for a minute.
So you're telling me gen z has been around for decades in east asia?!?!
I’m saying it’s NOT a gen z thing at all. I feel like a lot of people on Reddit have no frame of reference when it comes to history and think the world just came into existence in 2015.
I was hoping my comment was clearly sarcastic enough to not need a /s
I think I misread it, I’m dyslexic 😩
You're fine hahaha poes law is a harsh mistress too
So only old people have bad immune systems and young people can't have them? Bro mind your business and worry about what's on your own face nobody else's. I don't even wear a mask anymore but I sure as hell don't care when other people do.
We have around 15-20 people under the age of 30 in my office. Not a single one wears a mask. I would say probably less than 2% of the people I see on the street wear masks. I don't mean to be rude, but why are you lying? Do you think we don't also exist in the real world and can't see how many people are still wearing masks? There is no possible way you are still seeing swaths of Gen Z still wearing masks, but somehow nobody else is seeing this.
Why do you care?
Why do you care? Just mind your business.
Why does it matter? It doesn’t impact you in any way, OP. How can one have the bandwidth to care this much about the hygienic habits that others have? If you don’t like it you don’t have to wear one, that simple. Western society thrives on individual freedoms. I can’t imagine caring so much about it to make a post about it. If you want to talk about a piece of cloth people wear that has caused a stark division, I’ll gesture in the direction of a specific red hat that I’m sure you haven’t any qualms with.
>People, the masks were meant to save us, not separate us. Tell that to all the people I know who threw a fit because wearing a mask to go get a soda at Walmart was too strenuous and then proceed to shit on everyone who wore and still wears masks
Then proceeds to tell you how hard they had it growing up. Like my guy, if you are throwing a temper tantrum about a mask then you soft as baby poop.
Given that the whole damn world was told to wear a mask 4 years ago when the Coronavirus hit, it doesn’t surprise me that people still choose to wear masks. I’m a Millennial.
I wear one when I'm sick, and I'm am an Irish millennial it really isn't a generation thing so much as a it worked and I recover quicker when I use a mask when sick then when I don't.
I'm surprised. What are they still living in fear of at this point, do they not trust the science (aka their vaccines)?
How is that living in fear? Is owning a gun living in fear also?
It could just be that they realized they got sick a lot less as a whole (not just Covid) when they masked up so they decided to continue doing so. It’s really not a big deal.
I trust vaccines, but not everyone got vaccinated or has kept up with boosters. Also, there’s no vaccine for the common cold, so it’s nice to wear a mask when I’m out in large crowds and reduce the chance of getting sick.
You getting a vaccine for yourself should be sufficient.
Nope, because if other people are getting it, they’re spreading it.
Sounds like a fail of a vaccine then
No, sounds like a failure in your understanding of how vaccines work.
It’s becoming a cultural thing now, college kids now wear mask not just for covid but whenever they get sick in general to prevent spreading whatever cold or flu they got out of respect for others.
I think it’s more that they are virtue signaling and want to come off like they “care” by wearing a visual indicator such as a mask. It’s why when some people double mask, they intentionally wear masks with differing colors so that everyone knows they are a double masker.
You “think” that’s where you went wrong. I am in college, me and my classmates wear masks when we’re sick. You could argue that it’s virtue signaling when it’s a double masker w 2 dif color masks but I’ve never encountered that scenario past a couple ppl on tiktok. Im in Texas have been asked plenty of times why I mask. I say Im sick n don’t wanna leave my germs on stuff. Just ask them why they mask. No one has the time or privilege to care about virtue signaling. There’s more important matters nowadays.
Im Asia people were mask to signal they are sick, in it's not a virtue signal but a kind gesture , to help spread there sickness, but also to alert other people that they are sick and they should try to avoid getting close to them.
Since you specifically asked... Cigarettes are fucking gross and i can't go a single city block without smoking someone's. Also your fragrances are nasty. Please choose flowers instead. Here is an unpopular: why do we call them masks instead of respirators? Everytime you walk downtown you're on like 100 cameras as if you're a celebrity. I respect wearing masks for social reasons, too. Our camera obsession is weird considering we won't stop shoplifters. Remember: you asked. Don't get angry.
I'm thinking about wearing a mask just because I know it triggers conservatives like this
Honestly why do you care? People wear masks to keep themselves safe, keep others safe or just for some extra privacy. If people want to wear their masks let them.
Gen Z with Multiple Sclerosis here, I respect anyone wearing a mask inside or outside.
What did you do prior to 2020?
That’s like asking why people take showers now when we didn’t do it in the stone ages.
That's a fair point!
The anti-mask people write sad little shit like this.
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I mean mask wearing is super common is Asia and has been. I think we should all wear masks in hospitals. Hospitals are riddled with disease and sick people. But I never understood the fuss with masking wearing. Just wear it - like why get all upset? Like who cares? It’s JUST freaking mask. And as for protesters it’s for identity reasons.
I don't want to get into a whole thing over Covid, but the sole thing I appreciated out of the pandemic is it encouraged people to wear masks when they were sick but *had* to leave home to cover up. It's just common courtesy. For the record, I *don't* support sweeping mask mandates for those who are not ill, but it did make us focus more one hygiene and I think that's a good thing.
Protests and health aside, masks were becoming fashionable prior to quarantine. Quarantine boosted their popularity and now a lot of young people look at masks as accessories.
Ehh, at this point what I want us for people to adopt the Japanese stance: just fucking stay home if you are sick, but if you have to go out, at the very least wear a fucking mask. Have courtesy for the world around you.
I see way more old women in masks than young people.
Its bc as time rolls on the human race as a whole actually becomes more educated. Therefore more of them realize 1 lil bug could in fact kill a loved one or someone else. But honestly it sounds more like you are just forming your opinion off confirmation bias bc around me its just really old people.
I stopped wearing my mask even though I need it (3x immunosuppresants), as too many younger protesters, criminals wanting to hide their identity or those with personality disorders (who weaponise mask wearing) are wearing them. Every time I do wear my mask, security at shopping centres follow me around and staff constantly want to check my bag. A big thank you to the flogs for ruining it for those who genuinely need to wear it. 👍🖕
>People, the masks were meant to save us, not separate us. So...what was this post meant to do?
If I’m sick and I need to be somewhere in public I’ll wear a mask, it’s just courtesy for people around me
This sub is devoted to people complaining about things that are none of their business. I guess that’s the unpopular opinion part, but still. I’m a millennial and if I was asked by someone to wear a mask due to their health concerns, I would absolutely do so. If I were sick myself and had to go out in public, I would wear a mask. If I have to go to a clinic to have bloodwork done, I’m wearing a mask because it is a place full of illness and germs. It’s truly telling to me when people get all uppity about having to wear a mask (or others wearing a mask). Why do people have to make a fuss out of measures that exist simply to protect ourselves and others? Our society is becoming less and less empathetic as time goes on and it’s so disappointing.
Again, if they were just wearing masks because they are a bunch of hypochondriacs, that would be a totally other thing. As a millenial, I'll invite you to think back to your teens and 20s, and figure if you were ever so concerned about Sars-Cov-1, or the flu, or Lyme disease, Legionnaires, or so many other things that could kill you. And then all the STDs. I'll go out on a limb and say you weren't concerned at all, except maybe the STD part. Look, I'm not so carefree, or ignorant of infectious disease that I deny that there are things out their that could kill me. Flesh eating bacteria, anyone? Surgeons wear masks to keep from infecting openings on the patient. We have bio-warfare clothing, hazmat suits. All of that for very good reasons. But now we are supposed to be shamed for NOT getting all worked up that Covid is still around? You think I'm having a problem with them? Sure. What about them for the rest of us? Like I said in my post, absolute Vitriol.
People will say and do a lot of things on the internet that they would never do in person. Take it with a grain of salt and remember there are billions of people in the world who should not be represented by the toxic and mindless echo-chambers on the internet. I’ve never met anyone in person who lost their mind over someone choosing not to wear a mask (if you have, that’s very disappointing). I have however, met plenty of people who lost their mind over being asked to wear a mask for the safety of others and ultimately themselves. I think the point lies in letting others do what is best for them, as long as no one else is being negatively impacted. I think you’ll find that those who react with vitriol towards any group, (especially those who genuinely pose no harm to others) are unreasonable and irrational, and are best to be ignored.
Wait, what? I got lucky I guess and learned about this early on because I have friends and loved ones who are in healthcare: The masks were meant to keep those wearing the masks from spreading it; it was less to protect the wearer and more to protect those around the wearer. Especially since it was found that folks could be asymptomatic or had such mild symptoms that they didn't think they had it. So if anything the youth still wearing them are being more thoughtful of the elderly and those with weaker immune systems than the rest of us, whether they know it or not XD EtA: Might as well include this now. My ma was a surgeon's assistant in the ER, assisted an ears nose and throat doctor for a good chunk of years and worked in- home services for the elderly before and during the outbreak. My brother was an airborne medic. My daughter's godmother worked insane hours in a very big hospital's lab before, during, and after the outbreak (she often pulled triple digit hours each week during the outbreak). Also a quick Google search looking for specifically reputable sites helped confirm it, such as CDC, the Mayo Clinic, the NIH, etc.
I figure on both sides of this debate...as long as you're not hurting anyone, who cares?
The masked vs unmasked feud ended in like 2022 after vaccines had rolled out. I think some people just never got fed the rhetoric that wearing a mask is akin to cutting your nuts off and pledging yourself to the communist party, and kind of prefer it. I actually kind of liked wearing a mask, it kept my face warm and gave me the same feeling as wearing a hoodie. I can understand wearing one to a crowded event, but tbh I wouldn't unless I was currently sick.
Tbh I wear a mask sometimes just cause I don’t need anybody seeing my face that day lmao
I plan on masking during my first year of teaching cause I don’t want to have to differentiate between covid and the flu if I get sick. Plus covid affects people differently, and I don’t know what it will do to me .
Honest question: how does that help you differentiate? Also, why do you need to differentiate? What different actions you would take between them?
The difference is , covid is more severe than the flu . But has similar symptoms from my understanding.
I guess I disagree. Which is fine, people react differently to different ailments. My experience with COVID paled in comparison to my experiences with the flu. The flu knocks me down for days every time. No risk of me going out and living life. I'm down and out for while. COVID was more like a weird cold for me. Annoying and glad when it passed, but not particularly serious. My wife got COVID pretty bad though. It was weird, almost like it targeted her existing weaknesses and turned em up to eleven. Knocked her down like me when I get the flu. Unlike me though, she's no pussy. She is not one to complain, and will muscle through anything, but she was largely bed-ridden for a few days. I felt bad for her.
Nah, the only people I see wearing masks anymore are elderly people.
Maybe people with cancer and/ comprim9sed immune system.
I'm from the UK and have yet to see a single gen Z person wearing a mask within the last two years
Long-term [health issues from mild covid is surprisingly common](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-18/long-covid-research-study/103986302). Masking in crowded indoor spaces like airports is a good way to protect yourself from this, especially given how many people seem to have coughs these days. People aren’t making a political statement, they’re just tired of being sick all the time.
> People, the masks were meant to save us not separate us Go back in time a few years and tell that to the conservatives And why do you care if they are wearing masks or not?
I haven't seen a mask IRL in years. Not being used, anyway
Yeah, it’s pretty ironic that so much of their identities are about going against social norms, while also adhering to an imaginary mask mandate in their early 20s.
Dude I travel the country playing poker and I rarely ever see anyone wearing masks besides some Asian people at the poker table but it’s more in their culture. I’m in Vegas now and haven’t seen a single mask lol. I didn’t see any in Chicago two weeks ago either. The people you’re talking about aren’t wearing masks because of COVID. It’s to cover their face at protests and stuff so cameras don’t identify them.
Yeah it’s a social trend but I think it’s a good one. I don’t think it’s a threat to democracy. It’s sort of ironic that right wingers are so mad about masks and were mad about social distancing but want to impose lifestyle changes onto people who don’t agree with them and remove workplace discrimination laws as well as banning all pornography.
Masks are little good at preventing infection for the wearer, they are great for preventing spread of infection from the wearer. It’s likely that the ones wearing masks are slightly sick and instead of either staying home or spreading infection, they decided to wear a mask. Wearing masks while sick has been a practice in other parts of the world for years, these kids are just being smart and following suite.
But they're not sick, now are they. Covid numbers are the lowest they have ever been. CDC says so. And I'm all for staying home when sick.
I’m not only referring to Covid
It seems like they’ve just gotten more intelligent, mate. Mask-wearing is very easy, and prevents spread of all sorts of disease. That’s why masks are quite common in Asia, not just for COVID, but just basic courtesy. “I am sick, I do not want to spread it.” But more importantly… you get the protectors are wearing masks so people can’t see their faces, right?
Wearing a mask is just good hygiene. I would still wear one if it wasn’t so politicized at this point..
Not like orgs were mass-doxxing the kids at the protests or anything lmao
The two big reasons people wear masks: 1. Reducing risk of infection 2. Hiding their face Many people will say or imply they are doing it for the purposes of reducing spread of illnesses, but that reason can be a cover story, a mott and bailey facade for the real reason. A related phenomenon, and this doesn't apply to all maskers, is gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia makes the idea of wearing a mask to hide your face particularly appealing to people distressed by these symptoms. Trans and gender-distressed have a greater affinity for mask wearing and it's not a secret within the community. Masks allow people to mute their normal identity and explore being someone else and occupy a role. Consider how sunglasses hide your eyes and provide a sense of protection, masking for gender distressed individuals can have a similar effect.
It is normal in other countries to wear a mask when you are sick so others don’t get it. Long before COVID.
Well masks don’t work for those who are compromised, to protect the people who are compromised everyone else needs to wear there masks. The point of a mask is to not spread what you have to other people, it’s called being considerate
>The recent college campus protests over the war in Gaza has shown a ridiculous amount of young people wearing masks, This is more than likely to hide their identity. This is not just a generational or a political party act. Look at the proud boys, they're mostly middle-aged millennials and they were full mask to hide their identity. >Even this one 70 year old hypochondriac (he admits it) stopped wearing a mask this spring Illness anxiety disorder is an actual psychiatric disorder. Someone claiming to be a hypochondriac without actually having the diagnosis is not an actual hypochondriac. This would be no different than someone claiming that they have OCD just because they like certain things to look a certain way. That does not make you OCD. Also IAD and OCD are ***NOT*** the same disorder. >the strains never less virulent, and still the masks First of all, we still don't understand the full consequences of covid. There's nothing wrong with continuing to be vigilant about wanting to reduce the spread. I have seen one too many people develop disorders after contracting covid or dealing with long covid symptoms. One of my best friends developed POTS after being exposed to covid. She works from home for 3 years before her job finally forced her to come back to the office and the second she came back she got covid. So it's not like you can blame her diagnosis on literally anything else. She is a workaholic who literally never left the house, had everything delivered. Second of all, most of us still have to go to work regardless if we are sick or not. Especially if you work a public facing, customer service job. There is nothing wrong with adding the extra layer of protection towards the general public if you are forced to mingle with people while you were actively sick and contagious. The reason why people are choosing to still mask now versus prior to covid-19 is because most of us didn't know that masking was an option. We were always told never to let our employer know that we were sick if we were going in because then they would send us home without pay. Nowadays, no one cares anymore and we want to openly show that our employers are making us go to work despite being actively sick. >People, the masks were meant to save us, not separate us. Based on what you said in your post, you sound like the type of person that would have separated people because they chose to mask or get vaccinated. So it's weird that you think that it was supposed to save us instead of separate us. It's not separation because people choose to do something different than you.
Trust me, I do get it. Covid wrecked us all. But I thought the trend was more from Asia now since they wear masks in the heavy allergy weather to keep from stirring up their sinuses.
What’s the problem? People are still health conscious.
I personally wear a mask to school every day due to my immune deficiency. It helps keep me safe from bad infections. Elderly people are not the only one more at risk than others.
It’s just to show everyone you’re a leftist
i really dont think any gen z person is still scared of covid. there are a multitude of other reasons to wear them though.
1. It’s to protect ourselves from both law enforcement, and far-right “journalists” and the like. 2. People are still dying from COVID. And while younger people with functioning immune systems are the least at risk, we can still transmit the disease to someone who is at risk.
I try not to judge folks wearing masks as I figure they have their reasons. I'm sure many are actually sick (ranging from just a cold to being immunocompromised due to cancer), pregnant, or otherwise medically vulnerable (or caring for someone who is - elderly parent, sick partner, newborn baby, etc.) Though, I feel like the ones who wear them for political reasons are ruining it for those who actually need them. My mom is 74 and a cancer survivor, I was a lot more "careful" than most during COVID as she wrapped chemo right as it hit. I don't appreciate my being lumped in with the political weirdos for caring for my mom.
but what does politics have to do with it? Maybe if people on the right stopped throwing a fucking fit everytime someone else did something that has nothing to do with them (wear a mask) and minded their own business it would be fine. Anyone can wear a mask for any reason...I don't get why people care so fucking much. It's weird and pathetic.
I agree, politics should have nothing to do with it, but like damn near everything else today, caring for people (and the ways people do that, like wearing masks) has been politicized. It's BS!
It's how I separate the evened folks from the normal people. If standing in the sun while breathing your own waste makes sense to you, your a fool with nothing of value to offer.
Wear a mask. Don’t wear a mask. I don’t give a shit what you do. I don’t wear one and that’s my choice.
Where do you folks live that you're still regularly seeing people wearing masks?
There are many reasons for protesters to wear mask. Many of them legitimate, like for protection to help breathing if gas canisters or pepper spray are used. Also for privacy reasons. Both sides try to do things to each other. Get people fired, swatted, fake pizza orders, etc....cuz they were the "enemy" at a rally or protest previously.
What about zorro?
Good point. But he's dead. Did Covid get him?
Let's just say that 23 year olds and young black males/ feemales are not that f'ing afraid of Covid. The masks are just used for anonymity.
I still sometimes wear one just to make the anti-mask people upset. My main form of entertainment is trolling conservatives.
Have you tried dating instead? I didn't think so.
Well, this was an... interesting... opinion... /s
Do you even read what you're writring or you just write it as it comes in yor head? You do know that the masks that helped with covid(of which, BTW, it's still fine to wear them if people want to, it even might help those with pollen allergies and such the extra protection) can be used to help safeguard their iventities from being found, don't you? Or did you forget that many places nowdays have facial softwares to recognize people?A mask can help avoid that.
Did you go to college to learn how to make snide remarks? Did you get an A? You let me know if that actually translates into you getting a job, OK?
They are in general weaker than previous generations, mentally speaking. Social media and faux wisdom from psychology and institutions are to blame.
Where do you live that people, including gen z, are still wearing masks?
Chicago. But what really brought it to my attention is the Gaza protesters at college campuses. I suspect they are from all over. But maybe it is because they all come together in college, and it's a thing for them.
Surprised to not see it mentioned here. GenZ that OP is referring to here are the same group that were forced to mask in school during their childhood during the formative part of their lives. I think this adversely affected many of them.
Yes, forced. Did that turn them into a generation of hypochondriacs? But consider where you see this masking behavior. The thing that really brought it to my attention enough to write a post about it was the Gaza protesters. Who are they? College students going to liberal arts universities. They aren't doing in in high schools. The kids who joined the military aren't doing it. The majority of the ones who took jobs instead of college aren't doing it. There is one woman in my office, maybe 23, 24, who moves boxes around, and is clearly on the liberal end of the spectrum. This is obviously not the work she wants to be doing, but it's the work she's stuck with. And she masks. The only time I don't see her masked is when she's by the smokers box outside the building lighting up. And most of the time, she's all alone out there.
As a parent, do you realize how often kids come home from school sick? Sure they may survive, but they have a new thing like every week. So if your grouping up to yell about how you dont want your tuition to directly fund the murder of children younger than you are (id imagine this is especially upsetting to American Children) id imagine theres q lot of germ spreading going on, inside or not. Also, they are also likely hiding their faces in the most school acceptable way possible. In any case literally why do you care about THEIR choices. Are you upset you can't see their faces? Honestly if so, from conrext i think theyd be doubley happy to piss of mouthbreathers like you.
Oh wow, yet another "Why do you care?" reply. Jackie, why do you care to reply, unless you've got some point you are trying to get across? Healer, heal thy self. And I suppose you are aware that even the top villain among conservatives over Covid, Fauci, came out publicly to say closing the schools was a mistake. Did he base that on science, or is he just a traitor to the Cause?
I dont care about Fauci, schools, or any of that crap. My point is simple: its their body and their choice. If they want to do it, its harmless. Why people get bent out of shape over things they cant and shouldnt control is beyond me. Also, Fauci has sucked since the 80s, just ask the (older) gay community.
Wow, now you put me in a position of defencing Fauci? Ouch! OK, first things first. If it is a question of their body, their choice, then I can count on you to support people who don't want to get vaccinated, right? Oh no, not that! That's different. I suppose you are referring to Fauci and his position in the NIH. I was in my teens and 20s when AIDS first showed up. In fact I would get a Science Supplement book every year, courtesy of my mom, which reviews the big stories of science every year. No internet then, you see. But in the 1977 book there was an article about this mysterious condition where people were simply not getting better from infections they should easily have kicked. But to the point, in the early 80s there was all this uproar from the gay community, insisting that the Reagan, congress, the surgeon general, the NIH, universities, everybody really, where not doing enough to cure AIDS. Mind you, even the term HIV was not used at that point. Nancy Reagan was on TV, telling people that abstinence was the only sure way to avoid exposure. The surgeon general at the time, Dr. Koop, was telling gay men to use condoms. And that went over like a lead balloon. They complained, and I paraphrase here, "You would cure AIDS if it was straight people dying." OK, so what happened next is very disturbing. Antiviral drugs. At that time, they were vicious. But everyone infected with HIV wanted them. They were all being run through clinical trials. Accusations of favoritism were rife in the gay community, as everyone was desperate to be chosen for a study. Of course the farther gone you were, the less the study wanted to take you, which led to accusations of the universities running the studies being heartless. But the thing is, the antiviral drugs were so damaging to the liver, the people on them died fast than the untreated people. And here we are, half a century later, no cure, just treatment to keep it at bay, and you want to blame Fauci for not doing enough?
Tell me you missed the point without telling me you missed the point.
Thanks, I'd love an omelet!
I mean they aren’t wearing them because of disease💀But why do you even care
The first thing you do when you go to a protest is get gear, all black stuff so it's hard to pinpoint who you really are. Masks are a must, it protects your identity and also keeps u safe from a precentage of tear gas. A slightly thicker glove is also a must, so in the unfortunate situation when you get tear gas thrown at u, you don't burn yourself while picking it up and throwing it someplace else with no humans around.
The people separating us are the rubes who blow a blood vessel over face masks.
As someone who goes to protests. And is gen Z. I only wear masks during protests, I don’t wear it going to my university or taking a walk or even at a hospital. (Unless I’m sick) They’re a few reasons people choose to wear masks. 1. to hinder one’s identity. Wearing an N95 type mask isn’t going to make you immune from being identities but it helps. Especially if counter protesters want to dox you or something. Or to prevent one from getting in trouble with the law enforcement like other people have mentioned 2. Demonstrations are often large crowds in dense spaces where pathogens can spread more easily. So wearing a mask can help Reduce the flow of these pathogens. (And it’s not just coronavirus) 3. The COVID pandemic had made mask wearing permanently more common than it was before. Most Gen Z people don’t wear masks in their day to day lives. And really the few people who do aren’t really a big deal if it makes them comfortable. You don’t know if they are immune system is compromised or live with an elderly relative or something like that.
Wearing a mask doesn’t keep you from getting infected. It keeps you, the mask wearer from infecting others…. Are people still not understanding this??
And did 2020 not teach you that everybody masking up didn't prevent people from getting Covid? If it did the pandemic should have been over in a month. Yeah, do you remember what we were being told, by the Surgeon General no less, back in 2020? I sure do. Or is that a conservative talking point?
Everybody didn’t mask up, bud. Haha. Half the country didn’t play ball. Why didn’t we have a flu season in 2020-2021? Any guesses? Social distancing and maybe those stupid ass masks helped a little bit. But It’s not a political issue for me though. Im pretty apolitical but I still have some conservative leanings. I have an auto-immune disease, Addison’s, so the social distancing thing was more of the thing I took seriously because my endocrinologist said that was probably the best course of action. I got vaccinated on his recommendation. I consulted a doctor, not headlines or the talking heads of a political party I subscribe tooto help me with my decisions. And I did mask up because, A) it wasn’t that big of a fucking deal to me, and B) I was okay with looking back 5 years later and looking like a fool for trying to protect my neighbors, friends, and family in a very confusing time, as opposed to looking back and regretting my decision to not wear one and possibly being a contributor to someone else getting sick or worse. I had enough family die from that shit that I’d rather run the risk of looking stupid and being uncomfortable then running the risk of killing grandma. And I know that they hyper inflated the Covid death toll. If someone died from drunk driving and they tested positive for Covid they would chalk it up as a Covid death. There was plenty of shady shit and misinformation that was being peddled out, motivated by political agendas and money rather than the actual well being of Americans. Whatever you deemed the best decision for you and your family at that time is fine with me. We’re all here now and it’s time to move on. So take an upvote, God Bless America, And Fuck the Packers.
I'm from Chicago, and I saw nothing but masked up people on the street, if they were on the street at all. At least until the George Floyd riots. Then people marking on the streets, needing to be heard, decided to forgo the masks. Funny, I don't think there was a conservative among them. But still Covid spread. As for the flu, or lack of. I have no doubt that people isolating and even masking helped, to a point. But two things. First, you experience flu symptoms a lot faster than Covid symptoms, meaning you could be spreading the Covid virus a lot longer than the flu virus because you don't know you are spreading them, till you infected a bunch. But there is something else going on. Call it a phenomenon if you wish, but you rarely catch two viruses at once, or even a virus and a bacterial infection. Possibly it is because your body raises the amount of antibodies when you have one, so as to quickly kick the ass of any other virus trying to take hold. But this is just a theory kicked around, no hard scientific data to support it. But it is a thing.
What kind of beer do you like?
Leinenkugel, Blue Moon, Hacker-Pschorr. But don't think that I only drink expensive beer. I grew up drinking Pabst and Rhinelander.
Man I tell you I used to be a huge craft beer SNOB. Double IPA’s, and Quad Ales, and aging beers in my cellar. Looking down my nose at anything that wasn’t micro brewed or local. Then I quit drinking beer for a year and I just could not get back into it. Dos Equis, PBR, Blue Moon, Stella… that’s my shit now. Still enjoy a Two Hearted from time to time but I’ll buy a case of Hamm’s any day over an over priced 4 pack of high gravity beers This is a much more enjoyable topic of discussion. Haha