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As I navigate the discussions surrounding the issue of children wearing masks, I often feel outnumbered. Online, it seems like a chorus of voices claims that requiring kids to wear masks is a form of torture—quite literally. Not in a figurative sense, but in a genuine interpretation of the term.
However, the CDC continues to advise that unvaccinated children aged 2 and older should wear masks. Reputable health sources support this recommendation. My own child’s doctor has advised that my unvaccinated 11-year-old daughter should keep her mask on until she can receive the vaccine, which he encourages as soon as it’s available.
Yet, social media resonates with the cries of parents and self-proclaimed experts who truly believe that asking children to wear masks is both unnecessary and a form of torture. What accounts for the stark contrast between the medical advice I trust and the alternative narrative echoing across the internet?
Kids in Masks—What Am I Missing?
In my quest for clarity, I researched the arguments against mask-wearing. Some articles suggested that masks make individuals less intelligent—not just that only foolish people wear them, but that the act of wearing a mask literally diminishes cognitive abilities and increases compliance. One comparison likened the government’s mask mandate to the domestication of cattle. The article, presented as logical and filled with references, was riddled with flawed reasoning and absurd analogies.
Other pieces claimed that children suffer psychologically from not being able to see smiles or that masks deprive them of oxygen, potentially harming them more than COVID-19 itself. One piece even quoted “virus” and “case,” implying that neither is real. Curiously, the same article acknowledged that mask mandates had been lifted, yet many in the community still chose to wear them out of consideration for the unvaccinated.
Repeatedly, articles that claim to be grounded in logic reveal contradictions and inaccuracies.
A Reality Check, Please
I visited Vermont recently, where the COVID-19 case numbers were minimal, and vaccination rates were the highest in the country. It astonished me to see that, despite the lifting of the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals, most people still wore masks indoors. I watched children play at baseball and soccer games, some masked and some not. When I picked up kids from school, they wore their masks, blissfully unaware and carefree. Torture? That notion is simply laughable.
These kids understand the importance of wearing masks; they don’t want to get sick or risk making others ill. While they’d likely prefer not to wear masks if given a choice, they grasp the reasoning behind it and accept it.
Kids Care About Others—If We Equip Them
I suspect that any child who claims wearing a mask feels like torture is echoing what they’ve heard from adults. Most kids probably don’t comprehend the true meaning of torture. Why are we trivializing the term by equating a simple request to wear a mask with severe forms of suffering? If they understood the potential seriousness of COVID-19, I believe they’d reconsider their stance on wearing masks. Children inherently want to help others—let’s empower them to do so.
The Reality of Children Getting Sick
The risks children face became painfully real for me when a colleague shared that her unvaccinated 15-year-old daughter contracted COVID-19 and ended up hospitalized with severe complications. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t get her daughter vaccinated due to the opposing views of the other parent.
Many people incorrectly believe that kids are immune to severe illness from COVID-19. While it’s true that kids typically experience milder symptoms, they can still become very ill or develop dangerous conditions like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).
It’s heartbreaking to see stories of individuals who dismissed the severity of the virus, only to fall seriously ill or die after contracting COVID-19. One such case was a young nurse whose preventable death highlights the real risks involved.
While I don’t think most parents who label mask-wearing as torture are intentionally misleading, I believe they’ve fallen for a narrative that doesn’t prioritize their children’s well-being. Our kids are not being tortured when they wear masks. When we communicate the purpose behind masks, they understand and adapt. They can breathe while wearing them—I’ve seen kids play soccer without complaint while masked.
Personally, I continue to wear a mask when out, even after being vaccinated, to protect my unvaccinated daughter. She’s aware she’ll wear a mask when returning to school, and she’s perfectly fine with it because she knows it’s a small gesture that contributes to the safety of everyone.
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