The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of changes around the world. Online classes via Zoom, staying six feet apart and wearing masks have essentially made life the same. Because of the pandemic, many people’s mental health has been impacted. Recently, a survey was posted to the Jays’ App, Elizabethtown College’s own private platform of social media, to get the experience of the College community and masks and their mental health.
Currently, Lancaster County is still at a high-risk level of COVID-19, but Etown has experienced very low numbers of COVID cases. Since the start of the semester, all individuals are required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor common spaces per the administration’s guidance. However, this is not the case across the country. Countless school districts are dealing with the debate of if children should wear masks in the classroom. Businesses are going back to requiring wearing masks inside. These reversals have sparked debates about wearing masks much like the ones at the start of the pandemic. People have varied in their belief of wearing masks no matter what, wearing masks indoors, not wearing masks as they’re vaccinated, to simply not wearing a mask. Because of how mental health has been a huge side effect of the pandemic, masks may be a small contributing factor because of the debates the country has been seeing.
The survey provided some insight into how the College community is dealing with mental health and face masks. Out of 37 responses, the majority of the participants responded that they have not experienced higher levels of stress, anger or anxiety because of masks. 35 percent of the responses stated they have experienced higher levels of these emotions because people are not wearing them correctly or when they need to. Conversely, 24 percent of the responses have stated they have experienced these emotions because they believe they do not need to wear a mask in general.
Because masks are required when interacting with others, participants were asked if they are comfortable with people not wearing one in different settings. 81 percent stated that they are comfortable with others when they are not wearing a mask outside. However, that percentage dropped to 41 percent when asked if they are comfortable with others when they are not wearing a mask inside.
One response stated, “It’s really stressful when students don’t wear masks when they are supposed to. We’re supposed to wear masks to protect each other and when someone isn’t wearing one inside, it feels like they’re disregarding other people’s health.” The lack of respect for one another can add to the stress that someone is already facing.
Another student stated, “There is a level of comfort that comes knowing that the people you are interacting with are following the COVID-19 precautions.”
When looking at peer pressure and masks, the majority of students have stated that they do not feel pressured to wear a mask or take off their mask. However, a student commented on how masks have become a barrier to some. They said “I think the masks make students not want to converse and makes you shy away from asking questions. It’s a social barrier that most people won’t ever breakthrough.” Masks have made it hard for some students to speak louder and have used the mask as an excuse to not participate fully in the classroom.
Overall, according to the survey, the pandemic has impacted the mental health of the community. 87 percent of students answered that their mental health has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic overall. A student stated “I don’t think masks have changed mental health as much as some of the other guidelines or restrictions that came alongside the pandemic, as far as life on campus.” No matter what the cause, mental health has been impacted by the pandemic.
Disclaimer: There was a response to the survey stating “I am so happy to see that I can comment as long as I don’t commit ‘wrongthink’ here at Elizabethtown university.” The survey had a brief note attached, which may have led to the student commenting their statement. The Etownian was concerned about the survey being taken out of context and used for individuals’ platforms. The note stated that “Any comment condemning wearing masks would result in the entire response being discarded.” The Etownian was concerned that individuals would use the survey as a platform to spread misinformation about masks, COVID-19 and other topics related to the subject. We also believed that we would be reprimanded by the College for publishing such misinformation. In addition, we thought that individuals would flip the survey and thus this article into their own platform and take away from the original thought and purpose. Thus, we established the clause. Also, the administration of Elizabethtown College is requiring the use of masks inside common spaces for all individuals regardless of vaccination status. Disregarding this protocol would most likely result in disciplinary action against anyone who does not follow the guidelines. Promoting such actions would also result in action against the Etownian.
