The Case Against Masks for Children

The requisite amount of clothing varies country-by-country. There are countries -- such as some Arab countries -- were people are almost entirely covered, including veils for women. There are countries in Europe where nudity is accepted. Some countries, like India, have norms unlike the US -- bellies are okay, but parts of the leg are not. There are cold countries where people cover faces, not due to any sort of taboo, put simply to keep warm (modern HVAC systems are a very recent invention). There are nomadic desert tribes which cover faces to keep sand out. There are professions where people are masked all the time -- especially in food preparation, in biolabs, in EE cleanrooms, etc.

It's simply not the case that this somehow fundamentally causes deep-rooted harm.

Yes, if you reuse for a month without washing it, that's nasty.

And if you make a big deal out of anything, and make it seem extraordinary, traumatizing, and intolerable, kids will be harmed. Kids pick up cues from adults.

But on the whole, this is simple nonsense.

Footnote: My experience traveling is that everyone is outraged at cultures which permit different amounts of clothing. Any place which allows less clothing is considered sexually decadent in ways harmful to kids, and any place which requires more clothing is considered oppressive. I haven't found that to be the case -- from full burqa to total nudity, it's whatever people are used to. Liberals will always demand less, and conservatives, more, whether that's removing a veil, showing a belly, ripped jeans, leather jackets, or low-rider pants.