Argus Poll: To Mask or Not to Mask (October Update)
The percentage of Midwood students who are still masking has fallen below 50%. Photo: NurseTogether
By THE MIDWOOD ARGUS
On March 7, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams lifted the Covid-19 mask mandate for NYC public schools. At the time, the Argus polled over 250 Midwood students on their masking habits. While many students decided to stop wearing face masks, the vast majority (82%) opted to keep wearing them.
Now that a new school year has begun, we followed up with a second poll in mid-October, of over 300 students, to see how these trends have developed.
About 56% of our respondents this time were female. Ethnically, 42% of our poll-takers were Asian American, 22% were European American, 12% were African American, 9% were Hispanic, 6% were mixed race, and the rest identified with other groups or preferred not to say. These demographics are roughly consistent with those of our March poll. Here’s what we found.
Results:
Less than half of respondents (44%) are still masking, compared to 82% in March.
74% of Asian American students are still masking, compared to 98% in March.
38% of African American students, 32% of Latino students, and 7% of European American/White students are still masking.
There was no significant difference this time between female and male students, as opposed to March, when 90% of female students were still masking, compared to 71% of male students.
We asked, “If you said YES (you ARE still masking), what is your reason?” The most common reasons given were:
It feels weird not wearing it. (62%)
I'm nervous about catching or spreading Covid. (57%)
I'm self-conscious about my face. / I think I look better with my mask on. (44%)
My parents told me to keep wearing it. (44%)
I don't really know. (16%)
I don't want to be seen as an “anti-masker.” (13%)
I feel social pressure to wear a mask. (8%)
All of these results were nearly identical to the reasons given in March, except for “I don’t really know,” which increased from 11% to 16%.
We also asked, “If you said YES (you ARE still masking), what would make you STOP wearing your mask?” The most common reasons given were:
I'm waiting for scientists and health experts to say Covid is over. (35%)
I plan to wear a mask indefinitely (for a very long time, not sure when I'll stop). (30%)
I don't really know. (27%)
I'm waiting for my parents to tell me it's okay. (24%)
I'm waiting to see if there's a Covid case spike. If there isn't one, I'll take the mask off. (21%)
I'm waiting for Covid cases and hospitalizations to drop to a particularly low number that I have in mind. (18%)
If my friends stop wearing them, then I'll stop. (13%)
When I stop feeling social pressure to wear a mask, I’ll stop. (12%)
Again, the biggest shift was for “I don’t really know,” which increased from 17% to 27%.
Summary:
A majority of respondents (56%) are no longer masking. Asian American students are most likely to remain masked, and European American students are most likely to go unmasked.
While some nervousness about Covid-19 remains, self-consciousness, parental direction, and feeling “weird” without a mask were widely cited reasons for masking, much the same as in March.
While many students who mask are waiting a bit to “make sure it’s safe,” nearly one in three plan to wear their masks indefinitely. Many students “don’t really know” why they are still masking.
RESPONDENTS’ Comments:
You shouldn't be 100 percent set on something. If Covid numbers are on the rise, you should wear a mask to help yourself and others. However, if you feel that things are getting back to normal, then it's fine to not wear a mask. At the end of the day, your decision should be an informed one, not one made with your ego.
I stopped wearing the mask because it made me insecure. I like my face more without it and it gives me chin acne. I still take precautions, but not with the mask.
I feel like people don't have to pressure themselves to wear a face mask if someone else is wearing one, and I also think that people shouldn't feel pressured to take off their masks because someone told them to.
I think that it is very crucial for everyone to wear a face mask until Covid cases start reducing because there are still many viruses and diseases spreading across the globe.
They feel like an essential part of life now. It's like a regular thing for me.
Face masks can sometimes be annoying, but they do protect me and my friends. Whenever there isn’t too much crowding, like in classes, I don’t wear my mask, but in big areas I do because I had Covid before and would not like to have it again.
Having to wear a face mask has changed the way society is now. With a face mask, people tend to be more insecure about how they look, which damages their self esteem. They tend to think that they only look good with a mask on, and they may feel weird without it. It can also damage [little] kids too, since they learn to form words through watching other people talk.