Why We Desperately Need Clear Facemasks

The pandemic and lockdown have caused us all to drastically change the way we live our lives. We are staying away from each other more. We are slowing or stopping our social lives.

When we do venture out of our secure cocoons, we put on our masks and make our way cautiously through the scary world.

By covering our mouths, noses and chins, we are keeping ourselves and others safer. We know that. We protect ourselves from some of the exhaled particles from the other guy’s mouth and we protect him for breathing in some of ours.

But we’re missing out on a lot more than viral contaminants when we interact with masks on.

Think about your last trip to the grocery store. I know that for me, shopping is always a social experience. Just moving through the aisles, people exchange hellos, help each other reach the top shelf, or admire each others’ kids. Sometimes I exchange recipe ideas with people or ask if they like a certain product. At the very least, we always exchange a smile as we pass.

But with masks on, our voices are muffled and our words feel trapped. We can’t see the smiles or the lack of smiles. The result is that we don’t interact at all. People are barely making eye contact. We move through the store like the isolated being that we are, instead of seeing ourselves as part…