In the early days of the pandemic when mask mandates were required, people who chose not to comply were often confronted about it and “mask shamed” either in person or on social media. Of course, the reverse can also be true – now that the pandemic is more or less behind us and restrictions have been lifted, there are those who still choose to wear masks and they may be shamed or ridiculed for it because everything has gone back to normal.
The Macmillan Dictionary has an entry for mask shaming:
criticizing or confronting someone who is not wearing a face covering
As the country begins to open up, the mask shaming has moved from social media to in-person confrontations.
Mask shaming shows how quickly new behaviours can go from rare to common.
The Urban Dictionary also has an entry for this term:
When others treat you with disdain or contempt for (1) not wearing a mask in public or (2) wearing a medical grade mask that health care providers need.
I was mask shamed while lining up for groceries without a facial covering. The piercing stares and angry mumbles from those wearing masks left me feeling uncomfortable.
GD
Mask shaming regularly appeared in the news around the time that Covid restrictions were being instituted. An article published for NBC Bay Area News on May 7, 2020 reported that individuals were being publicly shamed for not wearing a mask: “’It happened to me the other day,’ said Oakland resident Katherine. ‘I went for a walk in the morning and someone came up to me and said ‘put on a mask!’ I felt bad” (McSweeney). Some feel that “mask shaming” is necessary to remind people that everyone is responsible for doing their part to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while others feel that shaming people simply adds tension to the situation.
The other kind of mask shaming – insulting those who continue to wear masks – has been an issue for people going back to the office. In April 2022 the Society for Human Resource Management journal published an article about mask shaming colleagues. It noted that “employers have observed an increasing lack of respect in the workplace, including so-called mask shaming—insulting colleagues who, out of concern over COVID-19, continue to wear masks” (Smith). The article quotes Katherine Dudley Helms, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Columbia, S.C. who says that “Many people have decided that, either having had COVID or receiving the vaccine, no further precautions are needed. However, there are others who for many reasons still choose to wear masks and clean their hands frequently. Employers should communicate to their employees the expectation that either choice is valid and should be respected.”
A CBS Sacramento news clip featured interviews with those who have been mask shamed for wearing or not wearing a mask:
Whether you agree with the mask mandates or not or you don’t like the fact people still choose to wear masks in public, you should respect their choice. Don’t mask shame them.
Social Media Trends as of November 12, 2022
Facebook #maskshaming: people are posting about this
Instagram #maskshaming: 1,181 posts
TikTok #maskshaming: 1.1 million views
Google Trends: “mask shaming” appeared the week of April 5, 2020 and peaked during Memorial Weekend of that year. This was the time when mask mandates were widespread across the United States. The popularity of the search term tailed off at the beginning of 2021 as more and more states removed their mask mandate.
Sources:
boneritis69. Mask shaming meme. iFunny Brazil. 18 May 2020. URL: https://br.ifunny.co/meme/kMHPcjaf7.
CBS Sacramento channel. “Psychologist Explains Mask-Shaming During Pandemic.” YouTube. 2020. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONj98dtX88Y.
“Mash shaming.” Macmillan Dictionary. June 29, 2020. URL: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/mask-shaming.
GD. “Mash shaming.” Urban Dictionary. April 4, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mask%20Shamed.
McSweeney, Terry. “‘Mask Shaming’ Becomes New Topic of Discussion During Fight Against COVID-19.” NBCBayArea.com. May 7, 2020. URL: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/coronavirus/mask-shaming-becomes-new-topic-of-discussion-during-fight-against-covid-19/2285899/.
Smith, Allan. “Stop Employees from ‘Mask Shaming’ Colleagues.” SHRM.org. April 4, 2022. URL: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/stop-mask-shaming.aspx.