Posted on 05/15/2019 6:20:06 AM PDT by mowowie
I can’t answer, but I’m glad you asked. I see them occasionally and would like to know why.
It helps them pronounce Ls with the La sound instead of the Ra sound
In Asia (China and Japan), it is polite for people with colds to wear a gauze mask in public to avoid spreading germs to others on crowded trains or in stores.
I don’t know but if you see a 350 foot reptile emerging from the ocean, grab a mask too.
It may be his breath.
It is common.........................
This started up around 8 to 10 years ago....when some flu episode started up and folks were coughing a good bit. The face mask routine has become accepted now.
I’m still waiting on statistics to prove it’s a good habit.
Ah, thanks for the explanation.
I see this at flea markets where Asians are selling goods.
My understanding is that there are two reasons for this practice:
1. If Japanese people have colds or other illness they’ll wear this type of mask to avoid infecting others.
2. These masks are worn in large Chinese cities to mitigate the extreme air pollution.
And this has been going on for quite sometime. I remember seeing it in Japan in the early '90s.
Found this article on that topic:
https://qz.com/299003/a-quick-history-of-why-asians-wear-surgical-masks-in-public/
“Studies have found that among many young Japanese, masks have evolved into social firewalls; perfectly healthy teens now wear them, along with audio headsets, to signal a lack of desire to communicate with those around them.”
I saw people wearing surgical type masks in South Korea when stationed there. They did have a serious smog problem at times in Seoul, although I also saw one guy smoking a cigarette though the mask.
Etiquette, politeness, and honor.
There are so many other responsive replies.
What made you target #4 as the correct one?
I also frequently see them being worn in the “making of” footage on Korean DVDs. I assume the crew does this to avoid any possibility of giving a cold to one of the actors, which would shut down production and cost them money.
It helps prevent Skynet from identifying you.....
When people are packed together like sardines everywhere you go, I suppose it IS a good idea.
In China, it is a fashion item. In general, if you have a cold, you wear the mask as a sign that you are considerate of those around you. But lately it has taken on an element of fashion. The most popular are the black wrap-around-the-face masks.
Pretty common here as well.
Lots of people riding motorcycles, totally wrapped up. Especially ladies.
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