Conduct Research

WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT WEAR MASK

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-health/why-some-people-choose-not-wear-mask

NOTE:

1.Trouble with underlying disease

2.Negative emotions brought by masks

3.Resistance to compulsory masks

 

MASK WORKS FOR REDUCING GROUP INFECTION

https://medical.mit.edu/covid-19-updates/2020/07/selfish-argument-face-masks

NOTE: In fact, many studies and data show that wearing masks can reduce the severity and possibility of group infections. But many people still think it is a scam. Why is it so? How can we popularize science more effectively and truthfully?

WHY SHOULD WEAR A MASK

https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/why-you-should-wear-a-mask

 

AS THE DEBATE OVER MASKS ESCALATED INTO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR

(The majority wearing masks and the minority not wearing masks. The minority obeys the majority?)

 

↑ PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Wearing a mask on an airplane is really uncomfortable. It exacerbated my airsickness. 🙁 But the good thing is that when I accidentally open my mouth when I sleep, the mask can help me catch my saliva. (Fisher)

 

NOTE: The reason why people who wear masks choose to wear a mask: COVID-19 will make you unable to breathe. Rather than the virus making me unable to breathe, I would rather wear a mask and breathe hard. Rather than advocating that “wearing a mask can protect others,” we need to let people know that “wearing a mask can really protect yourself.”

 

Academic Paper

The Great Mask Debate: A Debate That Shouldn’t Be a Debate at All

  • John R. Raymond, Sr., MD
http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=33428832&S=R&D=mnh&EbscoContent=dGJyMNXb4kSeprE4y9fwOLCmsEmeprZSsK64SbaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlCyqbVOuePfgeyx43zx
OR http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=baeaa591-8f6b-4d9f-9642-15d6c8e970d4%40sessionmgr102

 

The author cited some studies and examples on “masks can reduce the spread of COVID-19/masks can reduce the severity of COVID-19”, and confirmed this statement through data analysis and community experiments. Although there are still some studies and experiments that cannot fully support this theory, it cannot be completely denied.

After reading this article, I found that wearing a mask can indeed help us “escape” from the COVID virus to some extent, but whether this effect can be achieved is still very objective and varies from person to person. Because the author mentioned that although some people wear masks, because they don’t wear the masks correctly, the number of times they touch their faces with their fingers has increased, which also increases the risk of finger infections. This is a point that I didn’t consider at all when I was thinking about my project. So seeing this statement makes me very interested. And I think this view is also very reasonable. I think my project should not only gently suggest people to wear masks and be aware of the benefits of wearing masks, but also promote how to wear masks correctly. Although wearing masks does have many disadvantages, and studies have shown that these deficiencies exist, its advantages are still more. Many things can’t be perfect. Therefore, my project should also consider how to make those who care about the disadvantages of masks accept the existence of masks. A soft and persuasive buffer point is needed to neutralize this problem.

And the author mentioned a new mask design that “transparent and cover the whole face” also impressed me. When I returned to Shanghai from New York at the end of April last year, because I was wearing a full range of protective masks, gloves, and super long waterproof jackets, I did not get infected in densely crowded places such as airports. My friends who are traveling with me even had more complete protective measures than me — coveralls and goggles from head to toe. However, because it was not comfortable enough, I was worried that wearing too much would make me feel sick on the plane, so I did not adopt this plan. However, based on personal experience, I think such measures are still necessary. With the changes of the virus nowadays, we should also upgrade our masks and opinions a little bit.

After reading the entire article, I very much agree with the author’s title, which is “A Debate That Shouldn’t Be a Debate at All”. Although many people rejected masks very much at the beginning, after so long of practice, it seems that the role of masks is beyond doubt. People should stop arguing about wearing masks, stop the contradictions and group divisions caused by masks, and be willing to choose the correct way of wearing masks to protect themselves.

 

I found that the topic I want to study may include social science and a bit of philosophy. Rather than exploring the design of masks, I am more inclined to study the moral debates caused by masks, and how we can minimize these conflicts in the future and explore a long-term future that “coexists” with masks.

Therefore, I think my project will be an interactive experience exhibition. I think the difficulty is how I can make people with different perspectives understand the other’s thoughts, because after reading their opinions, I think some concerns are justified. But persuading others is a difficult thing, so I hope to weaken the feeling of “forcing” them to understand the benefits of wearing a mask, but to encourage them to try to experience it.

For people who wear masks, the reason they are afraid of people who don’t wear masks is because the virus’s extremely contagious nature makes people aware of the concept of “community of destiny”. Even if you have taken protective measures yourself, you may still be infected with the virus because of the actions of others. In the previous project design, I mentioned the channel separated by glass. The people on both sides are the person wearing the mask and the person not wearing the mask. There will be soft virus toys that randomly drop to simulate the scene of contact with humans. I want to make the virus toys on the side that people don’t wear a mask to have stickiness, so that these toys will stick to people to achieve a “dragging” effect. I hope that in such an experience, people can feel the joy of the game while also thinking about the consequences of different behaviors. Especially when the two groups finally gather again in the same room, the sticky toy will stick to the person wearing the mask. So everyone’s action is important.

In addition, I also thought of an idea after reading the academic paper, because someone mentioned that masks for the nose and mouth alone cannot completely protect against viral infections from finger touch. So in this exhibition, I also want to make an oversized mask similar to a spacesuit, which can completely cover the whole person. It might look a lot like a raincoat? This will be a simulation of the future situation, that is, because we have a barrier like a mask, it will cause the distance between people. Such protective clothing will be boring and make people can’t breathe. This “unable to breathe” is not only a description of the wearing experience, but also a description of people’s psychological pressure under the atmosphere of COVID-19. I also hope that in the end, my project can make people think about whether we can also discover some new ways to make ourselves happy in such an environment before the pandemic completely end in worldwide.

Mood Board

 

 

Dream Review

The sudden COVID-19 broke people’s ordinary lives. Although the pandemic has not ended worldwide, it has left people with more trouble. Does wearing a mask really keep people away from the virus or away from the other human beings? This simple act triggered a huge fighting between the minority and the majority. To wear a mask, or not,  that is the question. Fisher Yu wants to pull this question out and discuss it with everyone. Is the moral judgment behind wearing a mask really fair? Should the conflict and violence caused by wearing a mask be stopped? This project can leave you thinking more about it. And use empathy instead of fists.