Wearing a mask has become second nature for many people during the pandemic. But as countries lift the mandatory wearing rules, they may find that not wearing them in public and going back to “normal” makes them feel out of place or even uncomfortable. For those struggling with social anxiety, having a break from social obligations and not having to show one’s face in public has been comforting. Beyond the anticovid purpose, wearing masks almost serves as a shield that relieves some of the social pressures, sometimes related to appearance.
Arriving at the new normality and without restrictions, many adolescents (who have grown up with the mask) and even adults (who have adapted to it) have mixed emotions.
The explanation. There’s a psychological reason you feel this way, according to David A. Moscovitch, a psychology professor at the University of Waterloo. His research suggests that mask protocols during the pandemic actually increase struggles with social anxiety. This anxiety is characterized by an intense and persistent fear of being watched and judged by others, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. People with social anxiety tend to be genuinely concerned with behaving in a way that conforms to social norms.
Coming out of the pandemic, “we may notice that our level of anxiety about interacting with people is a little higher than normal,” Moscovitch explained in this CNBC article. For example, you may feel like your social skills are rusty or you may feel self-conscious about revealing yourself again at close range without a mask.
social anxiety. This social anxiety is compounded by the fact that we have been living in an “unnatural period of forced evasion.” In other words, being stuck at home and isolated from others mimics avoidance, which is a common coping mechanism for anxiety. Avoidance and anxiety tend to go hand in hand: “If we avoid things that make us anxious, it may feel like relief in the short term, but it will only lead to more anxiety in the long term,” Moscovitch said.
Fear in the young. Adolescence has long been defined by insecurities about body image, social pressures to conform, a growing sense of identity, and a susceptibility to social anxiety. As mask mandates in schools end, many teens are at a loss. For some, as they are removed, anxiety sets in. Whether it’s because of virus concerns, social pressure, shyness, or acne, some kids are reluctant to get rid of it.
They worry about getting sick or infecting their family. And they worry about whether or not wearing masks could align them with certain political beliefs. It is a difficult transition. In addition, for two years, the pandemic has raised concerns about the mental health of adolescents. Rates of suicidal thoughts in teens are up as much as 25% since last summer, and some estimates say levels of depression and anxiety have doubled in teens.
The “Imaginary Audience”. Removing the mask also represents a social transition during a developmental period when young people become hypersensitive to what others think of them. “Starting in their pre-teens and early teens, children often develop what psychologists call an ‘imaginary audience’ that makes them feel like there is a spotlight on them and their flaws. And as they begin to spending less time with their parents and more time with their peers, social status and cultural standards of beauty become important,” explained Dr. Choukas-Bradley in this New York Times report.
The imaginary audience shapes how teens think about even ordinary tasks like getting dressed, speaking in class, or shopping for shoes. While an adult may be thinking about cost or convenience, a teen may be thinking about what specific people at school will think when they walk into the classroom dressed like this.
mask-fishing. The catfishing is slang for misrepresenting one’s identity on the Internet. For a generation that grew up with smartphones, it’s a fitting reference. “Some of these people have not really seen my face outside of social networks and things like that,” said a 17-year-old girl in that report. “What I post on social media is a little different from how I look on a day-to-day basis.” The same thing happens with the masks, they have grown up with one of them on.
The implications of choosing to continue using them are also magnified on social media. The mask fishing, the idea that someone might be hiding facial flaws under one, first surfaced on dating apps, but trended on TikTok a few months ago. Several recent videos have racked up tens of millions of views, with young people pointing out children in their schools who may or may not be hiding. How can this not be a source of social anxiety?
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