How to Get Your Friends to Wear Masks and Socially Distance

You go out to a coffee shop. You see half the customers in masks, half without. A group of friends laughs together in the corner, looking too cozy for comfort. You wonder where the disconnect is. Who gave half these people information the other doesn't possess? Which side is correct?

Well, creating sides is the first problem. Let’s explore some ways to get your friends, family, and acquaintances to wear masks and socially distance. This won't be foolproof, but may increase your success rates with those close to you.

First of all, don't make them an enemy. Pushing people into separate camps only makes them defend their resolve. Once they get a glimpse of backlash, they will use confirmation bias to defend their side. Confirmation bias is when you only take in information that confirms your point of view, and ignore other facts or opinions.

People want to believe they're right, and that they have been right all along. It's always a cool flex to be like, "I liked Chance the Rapper before anyone else knew about him." It's much harder for people to admit they're wrong. They'd rather be the only person who's been right all along. Therefore, if they have a defense for this kind of behavior, such as not wearing a mask, they will try to stay true to their resolve before switching sides.

In this case, you must explain how there is always new information. Just because they were wrong before, doesn't mean they're wrong now. Discuss any new articles that outline your scientific reasoning for wearing a mask. Say, "It helps protect other people, as well as themselves, for A, B, and C. However, when people weren't wearing masks, C wasn't a factor. But now C is a huge factor and only the most up to date, educated people are wearing masks now." The best way to get someone to change their mind is to present them with better information and make it feel as though it were their idea. This way, they will defend wearing a mask just as vehemently as they defended not wearing a mask.

Another issue of contention is ease. Masks should be free and easily accessible at all times. If the government puts money in every other facet of society, they can put it towards a global pandemic. Masks could be placed in vending machines in stores for free public use. They could be mailed to your house on a weekly basis. If Amazon provides same day shipping for their products, they could lend out those same resources to those in need, or the government could pay for this on their own accord.

A high availability of masks raises the percentage of people who will always have one on them. Forgetting a mask when you're running an errand means out of sight, out of mind. It's easy to get angry at the virus, the pandemic, and masks in general. In an effort to feel normal, you may want to just get your coffee without a mask. What's the worst that can happen, one time? Well, a lot. But, in the moment, it's easy to rationalize a one or two time thing.

People find wearing a mask tedious, yet will wear makeup, hats, jewelry, and other accessories they feel improve their appearance. Therefore, masks must become not only accessible, but also cool. Even as vaccines roll out, people are stating how they miss their masks. They like the symmetry and warmth it creates on their face. It's crazy that such a thing could be missed, after so many didn't want to wear it in the first place. Masks should be made as cute as possible. If you're wearing it like an accessory, it'll feel more pleasurable. If you want to convince your friends to wear a mask more, make yours look extra fashionable.

A way to make masks a popular accessory is to get celebrities and politicians involved. If your favorite sports, Tik Tok, or movie star is wearing a mask, you’re more likely to take after their example. If everyone you see online is wearing a mask, you’ll think you’re an outlier for not wearing a mask. Further, news outlets shouldn’t showcase people not wearing masks or anti-mask rallies as much. It’s similar to the conundrum of littering. Sometimes, if you make people aware of a bad act occurring, it’ll become acceptable and more commonplace for them. It won’t feel as scandalous when they do it. For this reason, it’s better to show coverage of people doing the right thing and wearing a mask, rather than those who oppose.

If you feel like you struggle to breathe while wearing a mask, pretend you're skiing. If you can ski with a balaclava, you can enter a coffee shop with a mask on. Or, if you're unable to wear a mask for medical reasons, you can ask someone else to go inside and get your order for you. A friend, or even a stranger, would gladly help out. There are many ways around entering a building, such as delivery, that don't put others at risk. Even if you think you're safe and can't contaminate anyone, there's no way to know for sure. So, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Now, for social distancing. This can be difficult. in the words of the great Albus Dumbledore, "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends."

When people you love and respect, such as your parents or close friends, don't want to abide by social distancing rules, it’s tough to tell them what to do. It puts everyone in an uncomfortable position. In this case, you just have to play it cool. Just describe how you'd rather be safe than sorry, make some fun jokes, and try not to start an argument about it. Polarization will only continue the fight. Try to work together to come to a mutual agreement. Tell them you know it's hard, you know it's weird, but it's important to you if they do it. Just for your peace of mind, even if they don't believe it's necessary.

Create an exclusive bubble. There’s nothing cooler than a party only you get invited to. Just take it as an excuse to cut out the people you wouldn’t want there anyway. Just kidding, but you should very much encourage bubbles to your friends and families if they aren’t going to fully isolate themselves. Social contact is extremely important in enriching your life, but there won’t be a life to enrich if you die from the virus. All you need is a few close friends to make a pact with. Choose your bubble wisely.

In Canada, there are signs stating, “Stay one hockey stick away.” Since hockey is popular in Canada, they’ll hopefully remember it in a playful way, rather than in a “telling you what to do” way. If you try to relate to people with humor, it can break the ice on the most uncomfortable of subjects.

Finally, if they still won’t listen to light reasoning and arguments, get them to talk to a healthcare worker on the phone. They watch people die every day on FaceTime with their relatives because they aren’t allowed in the same area. If you know of any nurses willing to talk, this would greatly help. It’s hard to know what to believe when there are so many conflicting messages on the internet, and even from your own government. However, if you talk to someone on a Covid floor, you will understand how much pain these people and their families are in. You don’t know what it’s like until you’ve been through it.

Since nurses are so busy, you could even just send your friends and family videos of healthcare workers explaining the gravity of the situation. Who better to know what’s going on than those involved? Even if your friends believe in conspiracies or unscientific sources, they won’t be able to deny a situation if they hear it from the source (at least not easily).

Emphasizing the severity of the situation will help show how important it is to change. Change will happen either way, so encourage them to be on the right side of history. With millions of people dead, it is time to take a stand against this deadly plague. How else are we going to enjoy the roaring twenties like every other century? Places like New Zealand and Australia eradicated the virus by staying home and getting rid of it as soon as they could. Now, they get to party and gather as much as they want. That could be North America. We could be that. I’m assuming if you’re reading this article, you’re still in a hot zone, since you want to stop your friends from wearing masks. Or, you just want to educate yourself on tactics for friends in other places. Either way, you want to make the world a healthier better place.

Good for you. You’re a good egg.

While your friends and family may not believe in the severity or longevity of this virus right now, there is still hope they'll be swayed. There’s no other option. Until there is a full-fledged vaccine for the coronavirus, we must stay distanced and wear masks.

Our lives depend on it.

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