Or that they only learn how to emote and facial expressions from their limited interactions outside their home?
Wear a mask. The kids will be fine.
The way that neurotypical Americans currently use facial expressions for public social interaction isn't set in stone, inherent to humanity, or essential to normal development. It is a collection of accidental cultural practices, which are not shared throughout the world right now and will change in the future anyway. So, something might be speeding up the evolution of our cultural conventions right now--so what?
The kids will be fine.
The OP didn't even say they were American
Doesn't matter. The same argument applies regardless of where you live. the choice isn't between current facial expressive norms and different ones, it's limiting the ability of children to read the most expressive part of our faces entirely.
So what if it is? I see no evidence that that is actually a problem. It is only a problem if you assume that we must maintain current social norms; otherwise, you can just update social norms to not depend on error-prone interpretation of faces in public. Congenitally blind people develop just fine without ever seeing any faces at all--and nobody is saying you have to stay masked 24/7 in the privacy of our own home, so it's not like seeing children are deprived of any and all facial stimulation anyway.They will take more harm from missing faces because their psychological development depends on reading face emotions. Covid death rate among children is extremely low but they can spread it to their parents are grandparents tho.
After this pandemic is all gone and done why don't we all wear Guy Fawkes masks for the rest of the life if faces don't matter as you imply. Maybe that way we can preserve our privacy and fight CCTV surveillance.
After this pandemic is all gone and done why don't we all wear Guy Fawkes masks for the rest of the life if faces don't matter as you imply. Maybe that way we can preserve our privacy and fight CCTV surveillance.
You say that as if it's a joke, but...Yeah. Let's do it. I am 100% down for that. If I want you to recognize me, I'll wear a name tag, and if I want you to know how I'm feeling I'll tell you.
I was alluding to opposite; let's be faceless and emotionless if face and emotion don't matter.